Learning & living difference that makes a difference: Postmodern theory & multicultural education

Multicultural Education, Summer 2002 by Jacobs, Walter R

In class I explicitly called Whiteness to the floor, by asking "What does this episode say about White people?" After a minute of blank stares, one of the students from a rural background raised his hand and made points that he expanded in the EC, the first of the above citations. Other students then joined in, both from urban and rural backgrounds. They explored intersections of the standard race-class-gender triangle, as well as other concerns such as social segregation and aesthetics, as illustrated in these two EC postings, of which the main themes were initially voiced in class discussion:

"Some aspects I found interesting about the show was the fact that it was in black and white and that it played off of old horror movie ideas.... I think that they try to create as much atmosphere in each episode to make the show more interesting and keep their viewers guessing as to what they are going to do next. This is also a quality that I admire most about the show, they pay so much attention to small details to which makes you pay more attention to what is happening so you can pick up on small aspects such as the fact that it was in Indiana."

"I think the term White trash was created by other whites who felt intellectually and socially above people within their same race. I'm from New York and inside the city limits that term is used to stereotype homeless, poor people, and drug addicts."

Additionally, in the EC students explored intersections of Whiteness with Queer Theory, the study of the political and social poetics and problematics involved in the social construction of complex sexuality (see Hennessy 1995; Phelan 1995; Seidman 1995; Warner 1993 for general discussion of queer theory; see Anzaldua 1987; Berube & Berube 1997; Chabram-Dernersesian 1997; Davy 1997; Sandell 1997 for intersections of queer sexuality and Whiteness). This started when a student concluded an EC post with "[White trash] is not a concrete concept with an exact definition. It is not like being gay. I posted a response that "[Student] raises a very interesting point in the last post: 'White Trash' is not concrete like being gay. Let me turn that into two questions for us to think about. One, is being a gay man or lesbian concrete, that is, does everyone know and agree about what those things 'are'? Two, while using 'White trash' may be a stretch because of the pejorative 'trash,' can the somewhat similar terms 'hillbilly' and 'redneck' be used in positive ways? And to connect the two questions, what's the role of media in this reappropriation, the process of giving a term a different meaning and use?" Several students joined the discussion, with very insightful observations:

"I agree with what [student] said about the difference between self-- labeling yourself as 'queer' and 'white trash.' They are two completely different things. First of all, there's not clear definition of what white trash is. I don't think someone would want to label themselves as 'trash.' I realize that neither label (queer or white trash) says anything about their morality. By homosexuals embracing this name, it just let other people know they were not bothered by being called queer-that that is not something they are ashamed of. I don't see how this could be applied to white trash-how people could turn the term around to mean something positive, something they are proud of. People are not trash!!!!"