To me, the most captivating idea
brought up in “Tuck in that Shirt” is that race, class, and gender can work
together to affect how an individual is treated. It never occurred to me that
these three social constructs could work in conjunction with each other,
heightening and negating others’ stereotypical perceptions. It was weird to see
how the instructors balanced expectations about their students’ genders, with
their students’ race, with their students’ class.
Last semester, I read an article for
my Introduction to Sociology class entitled “Saints vs. Roughnecks”. The
article revealed how two different gangs of boys, who engaged in very similar
bad behavior, were treated completely differently based on their economic
status and possession of cultural capital. The misbehavior of the “Saints”, a
group comprised of middle-class boys who earned relatively good grades and were
involved in extracurricular activities, was largely overlooked by teachers and
the boys’ community because they possessed the cultural capital necessary to
avoid being labeled as trouble makers. On the other hand the teachers and
community were far more aware of when the “Roughnecks”, a group of lower-class
boys who lacked the cultural capital the “Saints” possessed, engaged in
delinquent behavior and were more likely to label them as “bad kids”. The
conclusion of this article was synonymous with Morris’ findings about how, when
kids of one race dressed a certain way, it was perceived by the teachers as
threatening, but when kids of a different race dressed the same way, it was not
perceived as threatening.
Another part of the article that
caught my attention was the author’s perception that the teachers saw boys as
more threatening than girls, even when both genders wore “street” attire or
adopted “street” behavior or speech. I suspect that this differential treatment
will have long-term effects on the boys’ perception of themselves. If the
teachers treat the boys’ as though they are dangerous hoodlums who are on their
way to prison, then the boys will begin to believe that this is who they are.
Unfortunately our society is constructed in ways that put "handicaps" on people that are not white, straight, and male. The idea that white, straight males hold the power of our society is something that has been an ongoing theme for many many years, and one that probably will not change for some time, if ever. People ask why? For all this time the white males have had the power and the power is something that they want to hold onto. Having the power, whether it be at schools, or in business, the white males have the power to keep the power amongst their class. However, in the reading "Tuck in That Shirt", the "power" figure are often of the same race as the children being reprimanded for their attire. Although it is unfair for these kids to be stereotyped on their clothing, it is not like white adult figures are reprimanding African American kids of a lower class.
ReplyDeleteLike the last point you bring up in how boys are perceived as more dangerous than girls directly relates to the documentary "Tough Guise" in which boys have adopted this bad boy persona to feel cool, tough, and mighty.
Ellie’s comparison of this article to the “saints vs. roughneck’s” piece is great because it connects “tuck in that shirt” with “Tough Guise” in a direct and efficient way. The idea posed in Morris’s article that Ellie brings up, that race class and gender “heighten” or “negate” stereotype behaviour is I believe inherently true and at the same time considerably sad and disturbing. Morris makes the point that if a student was black, female and from a low economic background then she was disciplined to a greater degree of frequency and publicity than her white male upper economic class peers. To this effect, the article Ellie brought up, where the white “good boys” were let off the hook while the minority boys were punished for the same actions proves that this idea of social capital brought up in “Tough Guise” is at work in all levels and factions of society, from the school to the criminal justice system, to the home.
DeleteWhen I began to read "Tuck in that Shirt," I, too, was immediately reminded of the unequal treatment of the "Saints" and the "Roughnecks" by teachers and fellow community members. Although both groups engaged in roughly the same amount of delinquent behaviors, the "Saints" avoided punishment because they had greater cultural capital due to their higher social statuses. Simply being of a more influential social class and race allowed the "Saints" to be seen as well-behaved, obedient, non-threatening young men.
ReplyDeleteThis example of the "Saints" and the "Roughnecks parallels the story of Lisa; the White girl who exhibits the exact same speech, behavior, and dress as her Black friends, yet is not perceived by the teachers as "bold," "aggressive," or "unladylike." Being White gave Lisa an advantage, in that she did not have to prove her femininity through her behavior and dress like her Blacks friends had to. The majority of the teachers assumed that Whiteness was equal to femininity, so Lisa's gender, unlike that of her Black friends, did not seem to play a role in how or why she was disciplined for her manner of dress. The teachers' insistence on teaching Black, as opposed to White, girls to "Act like a young lady!" restricts the freedom of behavior and speech that contributes to their success in the academic realm and teaches these girls that being "aggressive" and loud," all positive traits for a man, is inappropriate. -Alexa Campagna
I've also read the article "Saints vs. Roughnecks" and think that there is a strong link between the findings of that article and "Tuck in that Shirt." An unfortunate reality in our society is that whiteness acts as a buffer. Ultimately, if you're white, you're typically not perceived as a threat or dangerous. My Dad has often commented on this phenomena and it made me realize how far White privileges spans. Recently, on a trip to New York City, we stopped to use the bathroom at a fancy hotel. We weren't staying at the hotel, but we were able to walk right in without any problem. After we left, my Dad turned to me said, "It's amazing what you can get away with when you're White and act like you know what you're doing." That comment really stuck with because it's the sad truth. Most likely, my Dad and I would not have been able to get away with doing that if we were Black or Hispanic. What made me think of that incident in relation to "Tuck in that Shirt" is the fact that we could have gotten away with doing that and being non-White only if we were dressed extremely nicely, which we weren't, and looked like we were very wealthy. In many ways, it seems like our society makes non-White people try harder to prove themselves, through outlets like clothing, in ways that White people are not required to prove themselves.
ReplyDelete