3 Quotes/Significance and Reflection on them: Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us

1)

"The "secret education," as Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman dubs it, delivered by children's books and movies, instructs young people to accept the world as it is portrayed in these social blueprints. And often that world depicts the domination of one sex, one race, one class, or one country over a weaker counterpart. After studying cartoons and children's literature, my student Omar wrote: "When we read children's books, we aren't just reading cute little stories, we are discovering the tools with which a young society is manipulated."

The first fundamental point (or "assumption") that must be recognized in order to make progress is that we are in fact being manipulated, or indoctrinated with particular views that shape us. It happens from childhood forward, and as a matter of fact, since deregulation of the FDC was passed during the Reagan era, children are the prime targets of "manipulation." They are easily marketed at and their characters and ideas are developed and dominated by mainstream media. We must also recognize that this quote is significant because it is a reflection of the ways in which everything has a bias. Bias does not necessarily mean someting *bad*, it is always perspective. Once bias is viewed as perspective, people can feel disarmed and capable of discussing the "perspective" that has been provided for them through media, experience and a combination of the two.

2)

"Students keep track of their responses in a dialogue journal. I pose the question: "Do you agree with Dorfman's position that children receive a 'secret education' in the media" Do you remember any incidents that support his allegations?" This is difficult for some students. The dialogue journal sputs them to argue, to talk back, and create a conversation with the writer. Dorfman is controversial. He gets under their skin...Many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated."

This quote particularly resonates with me because I relate it to feeling victimized. In my first women's studies class, Gender and Society, my professor once said, "Nobody wants to realize and affirm the fact that they have been taken advantage of, manipulated, oppressed or victimized." This gets at a similar idea to the one posed in this quote by Christensen. I do not believe it is a matter of questioning whether we have or have not been manipulated by the mainstream media or dominant ideology so much as it is an issue of willlingness to take ownership of victimization. As someone who has been sexually assaulted, it is clear to me that it is difficult to talk about being a "victim," because what that seems to connote is that someone has taken our control. This is where we have to questions as American people...is it so bad to recognize that someone has stripped us of our agency? In reality, this is something that creates productive dialogue and brings us together. I have only started openly discussing being raped with people in the last month or two, but what I have found is that people are heavily drawn to me who have similar experiences. Although it is hard to accept that perhaps our ideas are not necessarily our own, in the long run this does many things and two come to my mind in particular. One, it significantly allows and inspires others to own their personal experiences, and two, it disperses information in a genuine way that doesn't involve this manipulation. This is what Christensen is getting at by titling the piece "unlearning the myths that bind us." By first recognizing what we have learned that is potentially false and even destructive, we can begin to recognize our similarities and realize that we are not so divided after all. The things that divide us are legacies of privilege and power that have been unfairly and falsely appropriated.


3)
"The possibility of publishing their pieces changed the level of students' intensity for the project. Anne, who turned in hastily written drafts last year, said: "Five drafts and I'm not finished vet!" But more importantly, students saw themselves as actors in the world."

In terms of the masses, I don't think students are as engaged in their work as they could potentially be because that just isn't the way we are conditioned to think. I have always looked at all my pieces of writing and other work in school as things to be saved and edited and possibly used for something like a book at some point in time, but I do this because I recognize how privileged I am to even be part of an academic institution that allows me this kind of practice and leverage. In this country, something that deeply bothers me is the idea that nothing we do really matters because we are so large. We have a large government, a large array of media portrayals that still offer us the same or similar ideology from cradle to grave, large corporations, and are overall dominated and controlled without recognizing it. This is problematic because it seems to override our actions as citizens and as students, terms that do not necessarily have to be separated. We are presented with the idea that even if we are working to make a difference, we are tiny individuals. However, being tiny individuals does NOT mean that we do not have access to power. As a matter of fact, I think it is normalized but however irresponsible to assume that we don't have power. We all have groups of people...friends...family..fellow employees...who we participate in dialogue with. We all are students within the same community and social sphere, so why is it that we aren't moblilizing? I chose this quote because it shows how we are turned on by the idea that we can use our voices, write to people and even write in our blogs and it will be seen by others and we can create movements and spread ideas and communicate and formulate! So, if we think the idea of action is so hot, and we dig the attention we get by posting our ideas and learning and creating, then let's take advantage of the opportunity.