Keepin' It Real

Keepin’ It Real – Carter

In the beginning of this reading, Carter introduces the concepts of dominant and nondominant cultural capital and the impact these have on students in high schools today.  The chart below represents what he defines as the dominant vs. nondominant culture capital (the page numbers did not copy clearly, so I apologize for not including them here).

Dominant Cultural Capital

Nondominant Cultural Capital

“Resource that can eventually yield some economic and social returns” “knowledge and skills of high-status racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups” “Provides students with access to certain attitudes, styles, preferences that enable their entry into high-status social groups, organizations, or institutions” “Styles of speaking, interacting; knowledge of certain books, music, art, foods; and experience foreign and nationwide travel” College preparatory, honors, and advanced placement expose students to dominant cultural capital

“Tastes, appreciations, and understandings, such as preferences for particular linguistic, musical, and dress styles, and physical gestures used by used by lower status group members to gain ‘authentic’ cultural status positions in their respective communities” Signifies in-group allegiance and preserves a sense of belonging

Carter continues by interviewing and sharing the stories of Black students who discuss how the concept of cultural power affects their lives.  She shares stories of individuals who she spoke with over a ten month period.  During that time she had conversations with them to gain an understanding about their perceptions on the role of culture in their lives.  What she found was that, “no one devalued high academic achievement, or cared if either they or their friends were smart, but they did care if their peers repudiated in-group cultural codes and knowledge.”

One phrase that Carter introduced that was new to me was “cultural straddlers”.  She describes cultural straddlers as people who, “willingly moved back and forth between their uses of ‘black’ and dominant linguistic capital.” (62)  She shared the stories of Loretta, Bettina, and Moesha who are high school graduates and are now in the workforce or attending college.  All three of these ladies shared stories of speaking one way at work/school and a different way around family and friends.  They had learned that in order to be “socioeconomically mobile” it benefitted them to use Standard English when at work and school.  If they continued this manner of speech around family and friends though, they were at risk of being accused of “acting white”.  At home, these individuals preferred to switch back into the accepted speech codes that were used by their family and friends.

The article I am including this week is about McCaskey East High School where in December of 2011 the school conducted an experiment in which they instituted all-black homerooms for the schools juniors (the students who took the standardized test that year).  In addition to being all black, the students were grouped by gender and paired with mentors of the same race and gender to, “determine if grouping students homogeneously for a brief period each day will help them socially and academically.” 

I was previously familiar with this story that made national news and have thought about it many times during our class discussions and readings this semester.  The part of this article that made me think of Carter’s piece is where a teacher, Willie Thedford, shares the quote, “"One of the simplest things you notice right away is, before, the pants were hanging down; now, they are up. The shirt is tucked in, where before, it was hanging out. That's tangible.” This is one step that the teacher highlighted, which Delpit and Carter would consider the students learning and exhibiting the ways of the "culture of power."  Could a program such as this one, which matches students up with mentors of their same race and gender help the students by being matched with positive role models?  Or, as the other side of the argument goes, does this program reinforce negative racial stereotypes and take a step backward to the days of racial segregation?