Institutional Bias Influences Into Children’s Lives

Week 4: Institutional Bias Influences Into Children’s Lives

“Most of the messages we receive about how to be, whom to “look up to” and “look down on,” what rules to follow, what roles to play, what assumptions to make, what to believe, and what to think reinforce or contract what we have learned at home…We are inundated with unquestioned and stereotypical messages that shape how we think and what we believe about ourselves and others. What makes this “brainwashing” even more insidious is that fact that it is woven into every structural threat of the fabric of our [society]” (Harro, 2010, p. 44).

What causes people to form conclusions? If you noticed that five people wearing striped shirts had colds, would you be justified in thinking that each had a cold because he or she was wearing a striped shirt? What if you noticed that three women who had long hair and were wearing black pointed shoes were particularly strong each? Would it hold up to reason that women who have long hair and wear black pointed shoes are all strong? Though this reasoning might be an attempt to explain the phenomenon, neither theory would be correct. Institutional bias is very much like this, as it leads us to unfounded conclusions.
This week, through a variety of readings, an audio recording with a man named “Kai” about his experiences with institutional bias, and this week’s Discussion on media and bias you will investigate the complex ways institutional bias influences the identity development of young children. You will also explore ways of supporting resilience and continue to write in your Reflective Journal as a means of supporting your own development as an anti-bias thinker and agent of social change.
Learning Objectives:
Students will:
• Analyze the intricate ways institutionalized bias influences movies marketed to children and how embedded messages bring about biased views in young children
• Identify strategies adults can use to help children critically analyze biased messages
• Analyze how family members’ exposure to and prejudicial thinking influence the identity development of young children
• Reflect on and deconstruct attitudes and feelings related to learned biases

This week is the four week for my journal I am send in information about this week I really don’t have anything that have been anti-bias this week if you can help a person out go for it but it need to be cite with the work for the course material this is part of it and I will send the rest. This is my discussion for this week. Also there is a video with some information I watch you can add this in also. Please use the Author of the books: Derman-Sparks, L. & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Antis-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of socialization. In M. Adams, W. Blumerfeld, C. Castaneda, H.W. Hackman, M.l. Peters, & XZuniga (Eds). Readings for diversity and social justice (Figure 7.1 on p. 53, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Pelo, A. (Ed.) (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools. (Media) Video.
The media, in Harro’s ‘Cycle of Socialization’ falls under the Institutional and Cultural Emphasis stage where children are exposed to preexisting stereotypes via institutions such as the television and other forms of media (Hoyt 28). The campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood is fighting to save children from different forms of manipulation from the media though commercials. Some of their social change campaigns include the campaign against the talking Barbie doll, an invention of the Mattel Company, which is meant to record children’s private conversation. CCFC is also campaigning against unjustifiable commercials on YouTube Kids, a platform for children where kids’ channels air harmful advertisements aimed at misleading young children (CCFC).
Aladdin Animation by Disney (1992)
The hero in the animation is Aladdin, a poor young and homeless boy who falls in love with the princess Jasmine. He is portrayed as a conniving but caring thief with an American accent and agreeably good looks. On the other hand, Jafar plays the role of a villain. He is out rightly ugly compared to Aladdin. He is evil, brutal, selfish and conniving as well. The Genie acts as Aladdin’s side kick. Though he is not human, he is plump and not nearly as handsome as Aladdin. While he is fragile and less manly, he is also depicted as being very caring and offers Aladdin the best of advice (Aladdin).
The animation is solely based on Arabian culture. Arabs are portrayed as brutal and as conniving thieves. Arabian women are sexualized through the skimpy dress codes despite their religion being Islam. No other races, or controversial sexual orientations and relationships are present. However, gendered and class stereotypes are fostered. Men dominate women, making all the decisions concerning their lives. The poor, on the other hand, are depicted as puppets for the rich, but they are not content with their status. The rich are also not as happy as expected. They have deeper problems of their own. Body size stereotypes have also been reinforced with slender being regarded as attractive while plump is considered repugnant. The sultan is plump and he is portrayed as gullible and less witty.
The film is a clear example of how the media reinforces the already existing stereotypes and beliefs that it draws from the society. Children are exposed to such when they view content ‘customized’ to suit their needs. Grownups, especially parents, can protect children from such by limiting their exposure to such kind of media.

Reference:

Campaign for Commercial-free Childhood, “Take a Stand for Children” Web: March 21, 2016
From www.campaignforcommercialfreechildhood.org
Multimedia: “The Many Ways Institutionalized Bias Sends Messages to Children” Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Class [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Aladdin Animation by Disney (1992).

Starting off Week 4
In watching the streaming video/DVD on institutional bias, I became more aware of how institutional bias affects your children.
The Many Ways Institutional Bias Sends Messages to Children in Learning From Another’s Life Story
This streaming video/DVD was on the many ways that institutions influence children.
Yen Kai Chen, a male from Taiwan, talked about what influenced him as a dual-language learner. He goes by the name, Kai.
When he entered school in the U.S., there was no classroom for non-English students. He was put in an all-English classroom, not a bilingual classroom. He was pulled out to go in a different room, an ESL room. There was no one in the ESL classroom who spoke his language. The teacher spoke to him louder, hoping that he would understand.
In math, he had problems with the word problems because he could not read the words. He could do the other math work, such as computation.
He did not take standardized tests in English. He said that he “zoned out” most of the day. In math, he did what he could.
Please use the course matrial