“A Class Divided Then and Now” by Dr. M. L. King Review Essay (Critical Writing)

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Introduction

Subsequent to the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, educator Jane Elliott got the understanding that she was going to do something. In her home town known as Riceville, Iowa, where she was living was completely homogeneous and, for this fact, she found out that her learners had no firsthand knowledge with inequity. A Class Divided: Then and Now records teacher Jane Elliott’s brave research and the life-altering effect it had on her scholars.

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The book A Class Divided Then and Now is meant for every person with different color of skin and mentality to learn how to avoid some type of unfairness or discrimination. Majority of American citizens are not part of the group that is dominant, for this reason being a minority, we experience a sense of inadequacy. According to William (2008), after reading this book, an individual might expectantly be less probable to put focus on the disparity they have with other individuals and perceive them all as equals1. This book aids those who do not face discrimination in their daily lives2, understand how it feels when discriminated upon (Abrams & Hoggs, 1999).

Persons who are a part of the leading faction have no close connection with those of a marginal group and frequently feel endangered by them as a result.

The leading faction comprises all wealthy, educated, white, Protestant, male, which seem to be older and heterosexual. If one lacks even one of these very attributes, an individual is then seen as a minority. In this very book though, they prefer to experiment with blue eyed persons, against those that are brown eyed.

Stevenson (1959) explained that the book reviews how a reunion among the third graders who were in the movie titled Eye of the Storm3. Teacher Jane Elliot set them through a research in which she at first informs them on how the children that are blue eyed are better than the brown eyed. The first time blue-eyed children have more privileges, they are told they are superiors to the children with brown eyes. The next day roles are changed: the children with brown eyes have privileges, and the kids with blue are eyes are in the position of minority. The same experiment is held with grown-ups.

Analysis

Name calling is one of the signs of prejudices and mistreatment of people who are minorities. The book shows us that individuals who are usually accommodating, turn spiteful and discriminating, even as this generates micro Cosmo cultures in which the group ties collectively. The most remarkable idea is the detail that when the leading faction feels support, they are seen to think faster and improve on tests. It demonstrates that all we require is a little self-worth boost up and we are capable of doing anything that we want.

We require inspiration from the individuals we look up to and admire (Bloom 2005) 4.

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The division to two groups led to the conflict between the two factions. In order to hurt another boy one of the brown eye kids struck the other because he taunted him as having “brown eyes.” The insult was meant to show the boy with brown eyes that he was worse than the boy with the blue eyes. We have seen this occur in our daily life by things we refer to as “stereotypes” (Table 1). Our culture makes use of names like nigger, cracker or gook to make a particular group feel inferior. We all see name calling roughly every day, nonetheless we barely even notice it any longer (Augoustinos & Reynolds, 2001) 5.

Another notion from the book was the superior feeling where a faction would pass on the others as them or that group. The conceit of superior people is close to the policy which was held by Hitler: all people with blonde hair and blue eyes were the paramount nation. While others, especially the Jews were the nation which had to vanish.

Another idea I observed was the fact that the dissimilar color eyed kids were making micro Cosmo cultures in which those that had eyes alike tied together. They were not contented of being called dissimilar having been raised up in a city where nearly everybody was white and Christian. This was revealed with still with matured students.

As the group who where blue eyed were informed to stay outside in the hall as those who had brown eyes were within the room, they began uniting together. The thought even aroused that they should run in the hall and take control. They were longing to upset the brown eyed group because they thought that they were being left out. It was motivating how a small number of them stood up for their rights even as the others held back to see what happened. We can observe this nowadays with kids who first go to school. Particularly with kids who do not have the advantage of being exposed to diverse races so far. On the very first day of school, the Mexican and black kids will linger back and be calm, whereas the white kids are awfully outgoing. A group of student was taken to see a police officer. The students that were white ran straight away up to the policeman and began asking him series of questions. While those that were black and Hispanic lingered back, nearly hiding. The way we are raised up has a lot to do with this. White kids are most probable educated that policemen are our good friends and that they are there to protect us. Whereas, the majority of blacks and Hispanics are educated that policemen are enemies and bad so they ought to maintain their distance from them. Micro Cosmo cultures can be perceived all over. Even with the disparities involving men and women. Women can communicate and appreciate other women a lot easier and in cases like shopping and other things, they tend to glue with them.

Another of my observation is that the kids, who were under common conditions helpful with one another, became malicious and discriminating just at once informed they were better. The students who were outside the better faction felt “dejected” and “disgraced” that they did not grasp the attributes of the other faction. They had the feeling of foreigners and hence lingered on the outside. At work this can be seen as a problem if you as a boss associate only with those who look like you. A lot of ideas could be lost if nobody seems to cooperate with one another. An example of this is Institutional and workplace discrimination. Minorities are subjugated and prohibited by the leading faction. Hence they are not receiving an extensive diversity of views and opinions that might perhaps be helpful. They have gateway watch, that are individuals who limit admission to levels of prosperity, authority and respect (Horowitz, 2006)6.

Lastly, I have understood from the book that the students who were in the better faction did well on examinations. The very beginning day, when the blue eyed Kids were leading, the brown eyed kids took about five and a half minutes to make the spelling exercise complete. While the following day, the second group that were considered the top finished the similar exercise in about two minutes. The first day they were saying how they could not do it, they were not smart enough. Being informed they were better made them think they actually were. A surprise to me is in the detail that even the matured student responded in this experiment. They were all given a trial and the adults who were blue eyed performed not only bad, but as well were too embarrassed to put in writing their full names. The adults either put in to writing their initials, or merely their last surnames. They experienced discrimination around the brown eyed grown-ups and began slacking behind owing to this mind-set. This just shows us how much of an impact society has on us. My Mother used to tell me if I had to think positively in order to do better academically.

I never realized the extent how right she was in the video he showed “The Eye of the Tiger” to people at institutions. They made some remarks on it by clearing up that bearing in mind and respecting the educator, they pay attention to what she says. At the get-together, the grownups clarified the way still feel like a family. Throughout the research they learnt how to harm each other and all of them admitted that they were willing to treat their fellow class mates that way again. They further say the basis for them behaving the way they did with one another was the truth that they had the chance to discharge all their aggression they have had among themselves. Immediately they were off clear the collars though, everybody ignored that unfriendliness and resumed to their usual way of hugging. On the whole, they still hold that research in high view and have seen that it made them what they are today.

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Conclusion

This book has taught me a great lesson. Though not being a part of it myself, it helped me put a lot of things into viewpoint. I understand how I would rather feel if I had been marginalized by having blue eyes even though I am not able to stop it. This book illustrates original displays of prejudice. Prejudice is a conduct. It is when dealings are hostile to a marginal group. Discrimination is also exposed as an attitude that is negative. It is seen as a condition of mind typically resulting from someone’s physical look. The kids with blue eyed were discriminated by the brown eyed kids. We have also learned the way kids focus on attributed features which is inherited naturally. Sadly adequate, a consequence from all of this shaped micro Cosmo cultures.

Footnotes

  1. William P. (2008). A class divided here and now: Discrimination. In P. Bill (Ed.) Expanded Edition (71-129). Yale University Press. Chicago, Ill: Oxford Abrams & Hoggs, 1999.
  2. Abrams D, & Hoggs M,(1999). Social identity and social cognition: When Diversity Training Goes Awry. In T. B. Ted (Ed.) Cultural Diversity (PP.64-112).Reno, Nevada: Byzantine.
  3. Stevenson B, S. (1959). Stereotyping and favorableness in the perception of Negro faces: Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 53, 209-21.
  4. Bloom, S. G. (2005). Blue-Eyes, Brown-Eyes: The Experiment that Shocked the Nation and Turned a Town Against its Most Famous Daughter. In Deb (Ed.) Differences Among Races (PP.89-123). New Jersey, NJ: Pearson.
  5. Augoustinos M., & Reynolds K. J. (2001). Understanding prejudice, racism and social conflict: Effect of Racism. In D. C. Bob (Ed.), Racial Issues across the life cycle (PP.231-244). New York, NY: Penguin.
  6. Horowitz, C. F. (2006).The Authoritarian Roots of Corporate Diversity Training: Jane Elliott’s Captive Eyes and Minds. In C. F.Steve (Ed.) Racism at Peak (PP.221- 256) New York, NY: Pearson.

References

Abrams D, & Hoggs M,(1999). Social identity and social cognition: When Diversity Training Goes Awry. In T. B. Ted (Ed.) Cultural Diversity (PP.64-112).Reno, Nevada: Byzantine.

Augoustinos M., & Reynolds K. J. (2001). Understanding prejudice, racism and social conflict: Effect of Racism. In D. C. Bob (Ed.), Racial Issues across the life cycle (PP.231-244). New York, NY: Penguin.

Bloom, S. G. (2005). Blue-Eyes, Brown-Eyes: The Experiment that Shocked the Nation and Turned a Town Against its Most Famous Daughter. In Deb (Ed.) Differences Among Races (PP.89-123). New Jersey, NJ: Pearson.

Horowitz, C. F. (2006).The Authoritarian Roots of Corporate Diversity Training: Jane Elliott’s Captive Eyes and Minds. In C. F.Steve (Ed.) Racism at Peak (PP.221- 256) New York, NY: Pearson.

Stevenson B, S. (1959). Stereotyping and favourableness in the perception of Negro faces: Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 53, 209-21.

William P. (2008). A class divided here and now: Discrimination. In P. Bill (Ed.) Expanded Edition (71-129). Yale University Press Chicago, Ill: Oxford.

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