"The Silenced Dialogue"

The author Lisa Delpit argues that there is a lack of communication dividing black and white educators and that we need to listen to our black educators about how to educate our culturally diverse students, as these teachers are often ignored as is their parents.  

The author begings this book by giving three different people's perspective of conversations they have had with white educators. They all conclude that white educators prefer not to hear about suggestions regarding educating culturally different students, "they wear blinders and earplugs", one women states, "they only want to go on research they've read that other white people have written (Delpit)." 

Teachers need to recognize student's dialect in the classroom because it is part of their personal identity. When students are exposed to constant corrections or forcing them to monitor these "codes and rules" while speaking, then they are less likely to speak up, and eventually become silenced. The author suggest that instead of deeming one's cultural language as inappropriate we should be more supportive and provide input from additional  "codes" and opportunities to use these new codes in a non threatening way.  

Culture of Power and the Five Aspects of Power

 1. Issues of power are enacted in the classroom, basically here she says that schooling and power are directly related because school prepares one for a job and a job will determine one's economic status so therefore schooling is directly related to one's power. 

2. There are codes or rules for participating in power. That is there are codes or rules to follow when communicating or interacting and the way you are perceived by others is determines by how well you follow these codes or rules. 

3. The rules of the culture of power are reflection of the rules of the culture of those who have power. This says that children from middle-upper class homes will do better because not only are they better equipped by the tools supplied to them but also the schooling itself is based on their own culture, that of the middle- upper class, the ones in power. 

4. If you are not already a participant of the culture of power, being told explicitly the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier. Here they are saying that people within the same culture can communicate without directly saying something, but when these codes are attempted across cultures, communication tends to break down. In order to learn the culture of power, it would be easier if people were direct with these rules.

5. Those with power are least aware of it's existence. The people with power are less likely to recognize the culture of power, admitting to it can be uncomfortable whereas the less powerful in any situation are the ones who recognize its exitance. 

Delpit brings up a good point, something I have generally never thought about, it is that misinterpretation of directions can occur in the classroom because of cultural differences. In example is how a women of color tells her son to get in the bathtub, it wont be in the form of a question, it will be a direct command whereas a white or middle-upper class parent will tend to give a directive in the form of a question. She says that the student who is used to a direct command being explicit and direct may be confused when a school teacher use indirect commands. A white student would know that the teacher is requiring them to do whatever she is asking but the other student may appear to be disobeying the rules. " The attempt by the teacher to reduce an exhibition of power by expressing herself in indirect terms may remove the very explicitness that the child needs to understand the rules of the new classroom culture (Delpit).