Case Study 6.4: (Racist) Terms of Endearment

Terms of Endearment

Terms of Endearment

Order Instructions:

Review the case study titled “Terms of Endearment”, where teacher Virginia Lawson is confronted with issues of racially insensitive name-calling in her classroom and struggles with handling the situation appropriately.

Write a five to seven (5-7) page paper in which you:

Take a position on whether or not Anthony’s explanation of why he was using the n-word made his actions less of a problem. Take a position on whether or not there are any circumstances in which it would be appropriate for someone to use the n-word or any variation of it in a classroom or school, and explain those circumstances. Provide a rationale for your position.
Suggest at least one (1) alternate way that Ms. Lawson might have decreased tension in the class following the incident instead of chastising Keisha and ordering her to sit down. Analyze how the way you suggested would have addressed Keisha’s comments, and the feelings underneath them, more effectively.
Examine at least one (1) other way that Ms. Lawson might have checked in with Reggie following the incident instead of calling attention to him in front of the whole class and causing him embarrassment. Analyze whether the way you chose would have more effectively allowed Reggie to express his true feelings.
Determine how you would handle the necessary task, after this incident, of addressing the use of the n-word with the class. Provide a list of steps that you would take, as well as a rationale for your response.
Use at least five (5) peer-reviewed academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and many Websites do not qualify as academic resources. Peer-reviewed academic resources refer to articles and scholarly journals that are reviewed by a panel of experts or peers in the field. View this video for more information on obtaining peer-reviewed academic resources through your Blackboard course shell.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Terms of Endearment

Did Anthony’s explanation of why he was using the n-word make his actions less of a problem?

Anthony explained that he was using the n-word because it was a term of endearment. This explanation does not make his actions less a problem due to the fact that the perceived consequences of the n-word to Reggie. Even though it may sound humorous and the other students may laugh at the mention of the word, the n-word is racist in character and it has an effect of causing pain to any African-American individual. This is because of the historical implications of the word and the manner in which it was used in the past to dehumanize African-Americans.

A few researchers have indicated that the n-word may be justified depending on the person using the word (Vera & Feagan, 2007). It can be regarded as a term of endearment in a conversation involving only African-Americans. However, the word is a pejorative, no matter the circumstances in which it is being used, and it should be avoided as much as possible. In practice, complexities have are noticeable in line with its use by African Americans, as it can be used pejoratively, politically, and affectionately. However, it is strictly considered as abusive when used by white people. Nevertheless, it does not matter whether it has been used in a serious or ironical sense, wrongly or rightly, or on the ground of necessity or the need to bring out comedy. African Americans do not like to hear or read the word, despite of the book or play having been written by an African American. This is because of the fact that the n-word usually reflects the bitter years of struggle and insult for the people of color in America. The n-word can never be used to refer to a friend, when in real sense it imposes contempt on African Americans as an inferior race (Cherry, nd).

Are there any circumstances in which it would be appropriate for someone to use the n-word or any variation of it in a classroom or school?

Although the word seems to have gained more acceptance in youth culture over the recent years, with others arguing that the word could be defused through reclaiming it, many adults are of the perception that the word is offensive and harmful. In the classroom setup, there is no room for the use of the word, unless it is being discussed by the help of teachers on its harmful character and the reasons why it should not be used whatsoever. In a situation where students have not been addressed in the classroom concerning the word, it changes everything, as the African American student has to keep on reassessing himself or herself and other students also keep reassessing the African American student.

The responses and feelings of the students is dependent on the students’ population demographics. In schools dominated by African Americans, students seem to have more ease with the word. However, students in that class may still feel uncomfortable if used repeatedly by white students in a ‘classic’ manner (Schulten, 1999). When African Americans form the minority of the class, the word usually causes embarrassment to them and they feel singled out. As in the case of Ms. Lawson’s class, it is evident that Reggie was called the n-word in the minority in a class dominated by other racial groups. This had the potential of hurting Reggie and causing him to feel uneasy. This also explains the reason to why Reggie’s friends laughed when the word was mentioned by Anthony. Nevertheless, the n-word should not be used regardless of whether the class is homogenous or racially mixed.

Although Anthony’s defense of terms of endearment is not acceptable, he can be forgiven in using the words on the ground of ignorance as to the effects and historical attachments African Americans have towards the word. Under the circumstances, it can be seen that the class had not been taught about the historical meaning and the pejorative nature of the word and Anthony did not see any problem with his action.

One (1) alternate way that Ms. Lawson might have decreased tension in the class following the incident instead of chastising Keisha and ordering her to sit down.

The word is handled differently by different teachers. Some teachers prefer not to ever mention the word, and they cannot allow any student to use it. Like Ms. Lawson, some teachers skip over the word and only refer to it using a euphemism. For instance, a white teacher may show more reluctance towards using the word than a teacher of color, irrespective of the demographics of the students’ population in the class. Keisha, an African American student, felt bitter when she heard the n-word being mentioned by a white student towards her fellow African American. Thus, she saw the need to intervene in the issue by condemning Anthony for claiming that he had used the n-word as a term of endearment. She believed that the use of the word was racist and that the teacher should have punished Anthony for calling Reggie the word. Instead of chastising Keisha for her actions, Ms. Lawson should have empathized with the young lady and empowered her to open up and discuss with the class what she knows about the word and the effects it has on her and other African American students. After hearing her out, she would then have arranged for a lesson with the class to explore the n-word with the students (Seeman, 2009).

One (1) other way that Ms. Lawson might have checked in with Reggie following the incident instead of calling attention to him in front of the whole class and causing him embarrassment.

The fact that Reggie formed the minority of the class and that Anthony had been calling him the n-word several times implies that the environment could not allow him to communicate comfortably with the teacher about how he felt, when everybody in the classroom was staring at him. Thus, Ms. Lawson should have called Reggie to a private place with him, tried to empathize with the student, and created an open environment (Seeman, 2009) for Reggie to discuss the issue with her. If Reggie continued to show discomfort in discussing the issue, it would have been proper for Ms. Lawson to give him a chance to put down his viewpoints as a journal entry or letter and give it to her. This would have given Reggie the chance express his true feelings.

Determine how you would handle the necessary task, after this incident, of addressing the use of the n-word with the class. Provide a list of steps that you would take, as well as a rationale for your response.

In deciding the most effective way to handle the n-word, it is important to determine the manner in which its use in the classroom, whether reading it aloud or reading in silent would affect the students. Most educators are of the view that the word need to be said and discussed openly. Thus, I would facilitate an open environment in which the word could be discussed by the students. It is important for a teacher to prepare students to exercise critical thinking in order to see the intent of the authors (Jones, 1984). I would take up the following steps in order to introduce the word to class and inform the students about its historical meaning and psychological impacts:

• Prepare the students by explaining to them that we are going to study a pejorative word.
• Introduce students to a text or play in which the n-word has been used.
• Establish ground rules for the discussion, including respect for all perspectives, no put-downs, and no name-calling.
• To create an open environment, I would ask the following key question: “How should we deal with literary works such as Huck Finn containing the word ‘nigga’?”
• Open up to students about my own feelings and illustrate to them the reason for exploring the subject.
• In case the class shows reluctance to discuss the topic, I will give them an opportunity to express their feelings through anonymous responses, free writing, or journal entries.

Using readings that contain the word ‘nigga’ or ‘nigger’ is the most effective way for initiating discussion. It is good to ask the students how the word changes the reading. Students can go further to write a small version of the reading in which they narrate a story of how someone insulted them, the word, phrase or gesture that was used and how they felt. This would make it easier to bring the students to the consciousness of the word. From there, I would discuss the historical meaning of the word, the manner in which it hurts African Americans and the need to refrain from using it (Alberti, 1995).

References

Alberti, J. (1995). The nigger Huck: Race, identity, and the teaching of Huckleberry Finn. College English, 919-937.

Cherry, A. (nd). Learning “the N-Word”. Retrieved from: http://www2.oakland.edu/oujournal/files/18_nword.pdf

Jones, R. S. (1984). Nigger and Knowledge: White Double-Consciousness in” Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. Mark Twain Journal, 28-37.

Seeman, H. (2009). Preventing Disruptive Behavior in Colleges: A Campus and Classroom Management Handbook for Higher Education. R & L Education.

Schulten, K. (1999). ” Huck Finn” in Context: A Teaching Guide.

Vera, H. & Feagan, J. R. (2007). Handbook of the Sociology of Racial and Ethnic Relations. Springer Science & Business Media.