I’ve enjoyed reading MacLeod’s
chapter 11 because it is more theoretical but have also struggled to make sense
of his analysis.
On
page 251, he discusses the significance of understanding the (structural)
limitations on one’s opportunities. He explains, “If those who are denied
opportunities see their condition clearly, they are more likely to kick up a
stink and change things”. Then on page 258, he continues in the same vein:
“Structures are not fixed, binding, nor unalterable, yet they often appear so.”
He seems to convey that having a comprehension of one’s opportunity structure
will allow an individual, or a group, to make change to the alterable system.
While I think this is true in
theory, it seems to be a rather simplistic understanding of our society and the
lasting impression of structures. Simply changing a structure within the system
does not necessarily solve the problems. I think the best example of this is
the system of segregation, which was legally codified in the US until the late
1960’s. While there are no current laws in the US constitution that allow for
segregation or the treatment of individuals as second class citizens, these
practices are still heavily prevalent in our society. In class, we have often
spoken about the practices of “redlining”. Although redlining was largely done
under segregated governments, the effects of this systematic segregation are
extremely obvious when analyzing housing in the US today.
This is just one example of how “changing” an institution is
extremely hard to do given the entrenched nature of many systems that have been
accepted as cultural norms. As I mentioned,
I had a hard time deciphering this chapter so please respond with other
interpretations or ideas!
Also, on a totally unrelated note, check out this article on
the cheating scandal in the Atlanta public School system. While this story is
unfortunately not a fictional tv show, it sounded strikingly similar to The
Wire to me! http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/us/former-school-chief-in-atlanta-indicted-in-cheating-scandal.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=na&
This theme from Chapter 11 (as well as what we read in chapters 6 and 7) relates closely to a Common Ground experience my group had. One of our African American group members is a high school teacher, and we often get on the topic of education, so her insights are particularly interesting. She surprised me one session, though, when we were discussing the common misconception that poor blacks are lazy and have neglected to take advantage of all the opportunities they have been provided. This group member said she agreed with this statement to a certain extent. She continued to explain that she often taught her (usually black male) students that if they are aware of the structural forces that keep them down, and they don't do anything about it, that it is their own fault if they fail. I think this relates to the Macleod quote that Elizabeth listed above: "If those who are denied opportunities see their condition clearly, they are more likely to kick up a stink and change things." It is so sad to me that we live in a society in which high school teachers like my Common Ground group member need to teach their students about the ways in which they are set up to fail. But, like she and Macleod point out, if they do not learn this, they have much less of a chance of success.
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