Background to the Resource
The resource under consideration is a political cartoon that dwells upon race-related issues. It can be helpful in intercultural education as it is related to such aspects as equality, discrimination, poverty, resources distribution, political agendas, the role of the media, and so forth. The cartoon depicts two political figures with posters associated with Black-Lives-Matter movement (see appendix). One of the posters says, “Black lives matter” (McCoy). The other poster includes the inscription, “if killed by whites” (McCoy). It is noteworthy that the depicted people are representatives of different political parties (Democratic and Republican). There is another object deserving the viewer’s attention. On the right, there is a newspaper with a headline revealing the background of the discussion.
I used Google search to locate the source that could be helpful in intercultural and cosmopolitan education. The keywords I used were intercultural, ethnicity, and equality. When looking for artifacts, I often concentrate on visuals as they are potent tools to deliver important messages or facilitate discussions and support arguments. Cartoons often catch people’s attention and evoke a myriad of feelings and ideas. Such visuals tend to be in people’s minds for a long time. The chosen resource is available at a website that provides political analyses and commentaries on various issues. Although Townhall is a conservative website and can be characterized by a certain bias, the resource in question can be used to start or contribute to the discussion of a serious problem existing in the USA. The educator can mention the source and its political focus to facilitate the discussion of political agendas and activism.
The Relevance of the Resource
One of the reasons for choosing this cartoon was its usability. It can be utilized in many settings. The artifact can be discussed in a public school or a higher educational establishment, but it can also be employed as a resource for professional training programs. This is a valuable image that can help in self-development. The resource is quite simple but appealing, which makes it easy to remember. Although it contains only two phrases, they can boost a deep discussion of such issues as racism, true equality, the role of the media, political agendas, and the like. The major focus is, of course, on race and equality. Students can discuss the issues related to race and equality existing in the modern American society. Employees can consider some general issues as well as the ways these problems are evident or persistent in their working places. The discussion of wider contexts is appropriate for professional education as people should never stop contributing to the development of their society.
The primary teaching/learning objectives are manifold. Firstly, the cartoon will draw people’s attention to an important movement related to people’s civil rights and its relevance to the struggle for true equality. Secondly, the resource can help people analyze different facets of the problem instead of concentrating on police brutality and racism. The discussion may address such areas as the nature of the crime and its central causes including but not confined to unequal opportunities, poverty, privilege, and different access to resources. People may be encouraged to think of the role of the media in creating political agendas and shaping public opinion. For instance, white-on-black crime is a more discussed aspect than black-on-black crime, although the latter is associated with equality and race-related issues. Both students and employees can try to bring the principles of true equality to the fore. It is critical to pay the necessary attention to the areas mentioned above and encourage students to reveal new facets of the problem.
Analysis Using Gorski’s Framework
The relevance of the resource can be analyzed with the help of the framework developed by Gorski. One of the central guidelines the researcher describes is the third one (Gorski 174). This guideline deals with the modeling of true equality and social justice. The author stresses that the educator cannot “replicate inequitable dynamics” but must challenge students to “study and understand dynamics of power and privilege” (Gorski 174). It has been acknowledged that people, as well as many intercultural educators, tend to contribute to the development of the society where inequality persists (Palaiologou and Gorski 353). Many people simply focus on one aspect of an issue while social justice and equality are multidimensional phenomena that need a more complex approach. It is essential to take into account the needs and interests of all the involved stakeholders. For instance, instead of concentrating on the perspectives of the oppressed, it is critical to pay attention to the views of other groups as well as a larger context.
The cartoon under analysis can be instrumental in addressing the issues raised by Gorski in his guideline three. First, the cartoon makes people think of different perspectives and facets of the issue. Harriot stresses that the black-lives-matter movement is often regarded as the struggle for the rights of minorities who are victimized. Some people are concerned about the cruel and unfair attitude of police officers, as well as other representatives of the state, when considering police brutality and the rights of people of color. The media contributes to the development of the corresponding public opinion narrowing down people’s focus. However, it is vital to dig deeper. The problems that are on the surface should not appear in the spotlight as it tends to hide the underlying reasons for the existing issues. Gorski argues that educators should focus on such concepts as power and privilege rather than experiences of some oppressed groups (174). The cartoon can help in achieving this goal.
The resource in question makes viewers stop concentrating on the rights of the oppressed. True equality and social justice are not about punishing those who use excessive force when responding to crime. It is more important to pay attention to the nature of the crime and its effects on people’s lives. It is crucial to understand why minority groups commit violent crimes in the first place. The ethnicities of the victim or police officer are irrelevant. The cartoon draws viewers’ attention to this point. The questions raised are concerned with the aspects that receive most attention. People tend to express their outrage when a white police officer kills a criminal of color. The use of force is put to the fore. Nevertheless, people fail to pay attention to the reasons that make criminals break the law. True inequality has little to do with police brutality but is rooted in minorities’ limited access to resources, uneven distribution of wealth, and other social problems.
In order to start or facilitate the discussion of equality in the American society, the educator should encourage students to contemplate on the two notes. First, it can be important to start a conversation about the movement and its relevance. The next step will be the other figure’s brief note that sheds light on a vast terrain that is sometimes ignored. Students should think carefully about the meaning behind the words “if killed by whites” (McCoy). Dimitrov and Haque stress that it is critical to encourage perspective-taking (44). The cartoon helps acknowledge different facets of the issue and take many perspectives. The educator can start the discussion of the value of the human life and the role of the stakeholders’ ethnicity. Students should try to consider the possible argument of an activist of the black-lives-matter movement, a Democrat, a Republican, a person of color, a police officer, a policy maker, and even a criminal. The discussion should involve the voices of all the stakeholders.
Finally, it is essential to look at some flaws of the system and the entire society rather than accuse different individuals or structures. Gorski’s guideline three includes the focus on the development of leadership in different groups (174). This goal can hardly be achieved if systems are not discussed in the necessary detail. Dunn examines some flaws of the educational sphere and emphasizes that the grains of inequality are deeply rooted in the system (357). The chosen cartoon can be utilized as a trigger for the discussion of some systemic flaws. For instance, students should try to answer the question regarding the reasons behind the focus on police brutality when speaking of race and equality. The system makes people more concerned about outcomes rather than the reasons for them. The students can be encouraged to think of the ways to draw people’s attention to the crime rate, the prevalence of minorities among criminals, their socioeconomic status and limited access to many resources.
Summary and Conclusions
The analysis of the cartoon and the application of Gorski’s framework were a valuable experience for me. On the one hand, I learned more about equality and gained more insights into several issues related to the matter. On the other hand, I could try to use an artifact to facilitate the discussion of such important issues as racism, ethnicity, equality, and social justice. First, it is important to pay attention to my own learning. I believe I should never stop exploring the data related to the issues mentioned above. News, scholarly articles, TV shows, movies and other sources of information can help me remain updated on the matter. This assignment made me consider the reasons for the focus on white-on-black crime. The media often develop agendas, which leads to the focus on the most scandalous aspects rather than a deep analysis of the issue (Harriot). The exploration of the topic also made me believe that people tend to accuse someone and punish the guilty instead of working hard on the development of effective solutions to such societal vices as injustice and inequality.
As for the new skill of using artifacts, I learned a lot when completing this assignment. Gorski’s model was specifically helpful. The suggested guidelines are instrumental in identifying the relevance of this or that artifact or method (Gorski 174). The third guideline seems to be central to choosing the materials for various discussions. The artifacts should reveal the perspectives of different stakeholders. At that, it is also critical to remember that any discussion should not be held for the sake of discussion. One of the educators’ priorities is to make students acknowledge the conflict and try to eliminate its cause (injustice) rather than develop a way to resolve it (Gorski, Good intentions are not enough 522). The educators should encourage and inspire students to find solutions and start implementing them to seek real changes in the society. Dunn stresses that educators and students can and should try to act and resist when necessary (369). Resisting reforms or initiating changes in communities are all ways to achieve real equality.
In conclusion, I would like to add that the assignment was a valuable experience that helped me explore the essence and different aspects of intercultural education. I could also apply some of its principles. I modeled different ways to use the artifact, as well as other materials, in formal education and in on-the-job training. One of my findings was the similarity between strategies that could be used in intercultural education in formal and professional settings. Students of all ages and backgrounds can and should consider a set of particular issues and try to come up with their own solutions and implementation plans. More importantly, I gained the skills that made me quite certain that the change is possible. I acknowledged that discussion could be developed in a way to make it the first stage of important reforms. People should and can be encouraged to initiate a larger discussion of various problems in their communities. This is true intercultural education that can help people build a fair society.
Appendix
Intercultural Issues
Works Cited
Dimitrov, Nanda and Aisha Haque. “Intercultural Teaching Competence: A Multi-Disciplinary Model for Instructor Reflection.” Intercultural Education, vol. 27, no. 5, 2016, pp. 437-456.
Dunn, Alyssa Hadley. “Refusing to Be Co-Opted: Revolutionary Multicultural Education Amidst Global Neoliberalisation.” Intercultural Education, vol. 28, no. 4, 2017, pp. 356-372.
Gorski, Paul C. “Complicity with Conservatism: The De‐Politicizing of Multicultural and Intercultural Education.” Intercultural Education, vol. 17, no. 2, 2006, pp. 163-177.
“Good Intentions Are not Enough: A Decolonizing Intercultural Education.” Intercultural Education, vol. 19, no. 6, 2008, pp. 515-525.
Harriot, Michael. “Why We Never Talk About Black-on-Black Crime: An Answer to White America’s Most Pressing Question.” The Root. 2017, Web.
McCoy, Glenn. Black Lives Matter. 2015. Townhall, Web.
Palaiologou, Nektaria, and Paul C. Gorski. “The Evolution of Intercultural and Multicultural Education: Scholarship and Practice for New Sociopolitical and Economic Realities.” Intercultural Education, vol. 28, no. 4, 2017, pp. 353-355.