Tuesday, April 22, 2014

How Much Is Unlearned ?


Sean Grant

March 3, 2014

Blog 5 (Christensen)

Unlearn Myths?

                In the piece “Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us” by Linda Christensen I was hooked from the title.  I don’t know why but I think it’s because I’m one of those people that loves to hear myths and conspiracies and then the truths behind them.  But once I read more, I realized I can CONNECT this piece to the others we have read.  In particular, I thought of August’s Safe Spaces because that had a lot of unlearning concepts, for example heterosexism, we are not taught that but we learn it throughout what Christensen calls “Secret education,” through what we see on television, what we read in children’s books, movies which creates the “Social Blueprint.”  When Christensen was talking about Race I related it to how August would talk about sexual orientation.  All the books, shows, movies, etc. all portray the dominant culture (SCWAAMP).  Where I can also relate this piece to “White Privilege” by McIntosh, how there is that dominant culture always shown on TVs, movies, books, everywhere.  That is what is unlearned and untaught but yet growing up it is planted in our brains through what we see and hear.  Like previous pieces have done, this is really opening my eyes to what children are taught without being taught it, and it’s crazy to think about, but in reality it has happened to all of us when we were growing up.  Only once when faced with other races, cultures, sexual orientations, is when someone can become more comfortable around and talking to the different culture.  Like that of the “Whiteness” McIntosh implies when only it has attention, it can be seen.

                What really blew my mind though was the grading and critiques of the cartoons, “Duck Tales,” “Popeye,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” but not only the grading but how true the stories behind the cartoons really were.  It goes to show how much is really happening behind the scenes that we never get to see.  So now while I watch anything, I always try looking at it from a different aspect, or try looking for the hidden message that the “secret education” is trying to teach.

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