Blog 3 - The Film Crash

The first time I saw the powerful film Crash was last weekend during our class.  Sadly for me the movie Crash portrayed the world we live in as violent and cold; a world filled with hate and injustice. There was a lot happening throughout the entire film and the movie touched on many different topics such as: some of the challenges and ordeals an immigrant family faces as it immigrates and tries to survive in a new country, the good and bad side of all human beings, and the reality of prejudice, stereotypes and racism.  The movie allows the viewer to peer into the lives of various groups of people, white and black, rich and poor, Latinos, Asian, cops, lawbreakers and gang members.  Each community demonstrated its own stereotypes, prejudices, biases and hatred for people from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

In class we discussed Lave and Wenger’s ideas concerning situated learning and communities of practice.  In a community of practice, individuals participate and are involved in their learning. Within a community of practice people are made to feel safe and valued for their ideas while communicating and learning within the group. “It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally.” (Lave & Wenger 1991) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_practice).   The term “community of practice” is a group of people who share a common interest and a desire to learn from and contribute to the community with their variety of experiences (Lave & Wenger 1991).  Legitimate peripheral participation describes how a new member will, over time, become an experienced member of a community of practice (Lave & Wenger 1991).  New members in a group will observe older members and learn from these experts.  Newcomers eventually will become more engaged and take on more responsibility.  As a learner and an educator I am becoming more aware of the many benefits and rewards of being involved with a group while learning. As Etienne Wenger explains, a community of practice is “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” http://www.learning-theories.com/communities-of-practice-lave-and-wenger.html   In the film Crash, the L.A. police officers are an example of a community of practice that share the same passion for their job, share stories and learn from each other.  We saw an older police officer taking a younger officer with him to teach him the ins and outs of being a police officer in Los Angeles.  The younger cop would be able to learn from the expert’s experience and stories the skilled officer would share about dealing with people, solving problems, and life as a police officer: in short mentorship.

The film made me feel uneasy, anxious and even embarrassed. The movie had several blatant messages about race, culture and stereotypes.  It allowed the viewer to look into the   appalling side of the human race.  The movie deals with racism and the many preconceived notions we have about people who are different than us.  Sadly the movie made it evident that we are all guilty of making bias assumptions about different people.  The film introduced us to unsympathetic and hostile characters from all walks of life struggling between good and evil in their everyday jobs and lives; by the end of the film we realize that all their lives are intertwined as their lives all crash together.  There were many scenes that disgusted and troubled me and I found myself pondering the messages of this film.   As an optimist I tend only to see the good in people, however, the film’s message was clear that in all cultures, and socio-economic groups there exist racist people.  People don’t often broadcast their racist and prejudice beliefs, but unfortunately they do exist and do rear there ugly head in many situations.  It is difficult to contemplate that even though this film was shot in Los Angeles many years ago, much of what the film presented still exists today whether you live in Los Angeles or Cape Breton. Sadly I see examples of it every day in the classroom and in the town I live. .http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2011-09-16/article-2751697/Community-meeting-called-over-racist-bullying-of-14year-old/1

 While I believe that things have improved since I was a child, there is still much more that can be done and room for more education and improvement.  The Cape Breton School Board has completed the first draft for Race Relations, Cross Cultural Understanding and Human rights that is designed to promote a safe learning environment for all staff and students within the school setting.  http://www.cbv.ns.ca/welcome-test/modules/mastop_publish/print.php?tac=PSS_Draft  Policy is certainly a step in the right direction but policy also needs to be enforced to be effective. Individuals also have rights under our Charter of Rights and Freedoms plus the policies of various provincial Human Rights Commissions but policy alone doesn’t eliminate the ignorance of discrimination, prejudice and racism; it is something we must recognize as a reality but not something we need to accept and something we must act upon in order to change it.   “The shift from explicit racism in Nova Scotia toward a greater sense of tolerance has been gradual, the sister of an iconic figure in Canadian civil rights says, and progress still needs to be made.” (Wanda Robson-http://caperfrasers.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/cape-breton-racism-pt-ii/)

The film Crash made me contemplate things that I typically avoid thinking about, the unkind and uncaring side of all human beings.  Generally, I enjoy stories with happy endings that make me feel relaxed and happy and don’t deal with reality; Crash was the opposite of films that I normally watch.  The message of the film was blatant, it the viewer was made to challenge their own beliefs.  At times during the film I found that I was holding my breath waiting to see what would happen in the next scene.  The character that infuriated me throughout the film was Matt Dillon’s character James Ryan.  This character, an experienced police officer, is supposed to be a   symbol of a person who will serve and protect all citizens, regardless of their personal beliefs and stereotypes.  In one scene we see Dillon’s character driving with his “newcomer” partner while pulling over a large and expensive SUV being driven by a black male.  Dillon’s character decided to pull over this vehicle for no other reason than the driver of the vehicle was a black man driving an expensive automobile.  Dillon’s partner repeatedly begged him not to stop the vehicle, but Dillon did what he wanted to do.  Dillon knew he was pulling over the wrong vehicle but was laughing and showed no remorse for what he was doing.  We soon see Dillon as a racist police officer who is violent and out of control.  Dillon was wearing a uniform and carrying a gun which he believed gave him the right to treat people however he pleased regardless of how he offended them.  His character displayed a great deal of rage and anger as he yelled at the driver to get out of his car. He treated the black man and woman in the vehicle as delinquents, second class citizens due to their race. The following scene upset me and I found it difficult to watch.  Dillon’s character began touching the female, Christine inappropriately while her husband and his partner stood there observing and unable to do anything. It was obvious to the viewer that Christine was humiliated and was desperate for her husband to stop what was happening. I felt that if her husband had confronted the police officer he would have been shot and killed. Dillon’s blatant lack of respect for this black couple was quite apparent.  Dillon’s character felt that he was above the law and could do whatever he wanted to, regardless of how he hurt other people. He had been on the police force for a long time and had gotten away with this behavior for years, almost as though there was a silent agreement between members of his police force that what he was doing was okay. Dillon felt that he had the right to violate another human being because of their race.  From that moment on I loathed the character Matt Dillon played and was equally upset with the lack of inaction by his partner.  I wonder if as a society we are made to respect and abide by the rules regardless if we believe in them or not?  Will people help one another if they see something happening or just walk by because they don’t want to get involved?    Do the police as a group have a code of silence they share?  It made me think about my encounters with police officers and the job they do to protect and keep us safe. What made Matt Dillon’s character believe that he had the right to judge and violate people who were different from him?   What made him feel so powerful?  After this incident the “newcomer” decided to work alone rather than with James Ryan.  Ryan made it clear to the “newcomer that one day he would become just like the older police on staff.  Officer Ryan: “You think you know who you are? “  [Officer Hanson nods]           Officer Ryan:    “You have no idea.”
Ofhttp://movie-quotes.blogspot.com/2005/08/movie-quotes-crash-2004.htmlficer Ryan:

As we feel immense disgust with Dillon’s character we are then introduced to a softer more likeable side of him. When he was helping his sick father we saw a concerned and compassionate human being who had put his own life on hold to look after his ill father.  As the primary care giver and a devoted son he constantly worried about his father’s health.  Dillon is portrayed in a different light when he is helping his father. The viewer is confused by his character.  We see him as a racist who uses his position in life to bully people from other ethnic groups, and then we see him as a loving and caring son. We see the good side of Dillon when he saves the same women he touched earlier in the film from her burning vehicle.  We got to see him as both the bad, angry police officer full of rage, and the good police officer willing to risk his life for the lives of others. 

The film was a powerful film, which made me realize that as a society we have made some progress but still have a long way to go. 

Thanks for reading!

Marilyn

Marilyn's Blog 2

“Lave and Wenger seem to challenge us to rethink what it means to learn, indeed to rethink what it means to understand.” (Lave & Wenger p.15)

            Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation by Jean Lave and Etienne Wagner is a very scholarly piece of writing that some might suggest is targeted for other educational experts in academia. Personally, I found myself re-reading and analyzing this work several times in an attempt to gain some understanding of the material and the author’s message. While some might say the writing is somewhat convoluted, the message in chapter three on the value of apprenticeship and the societal views or stereotypes of apprenticeship is quite clear: In short, there tends to be a stigma in our society about apprenticeship programs and their value as “valid” educational programs in relation to the more institutionalized and “formalized” schooling systems that are educating the majority of students today. (p. 61)

In the third chapter of this work which is titled Midwives, Tailors, Quartermasters, Butchers, and Nondrinking Alcoholics, Lave and Wenger study the apprenticeships of midwives, tailors, quartermasters and butchers and also examine some of the processes and supports of the Alcoholics Anonymous program. In all of these studies the authors closely examine the learning processes that are clearly happening while people participate in real life situations.    Lave and Wenger clearly make their point that learning happens by doing and participating in real life situations.  More importantly, they make the point that learning is not exclusive to “formal” classrooms but rather that more effective learning occurs in a variety of apprenticeship programs. This viewpoint made a great deal of sense to me as I’ve seen how different types of instruction are more effective when all of the senses are involved. According to the authors individuals learn when they contribute and take part in something, rather than being told many facts and talked to as happens in the school setting. “…if learning is about increased access to performance, then the way to maximize learning is to perform,   not to talk about it.” (p22)  People learn new things by being placed in a variety of situations with people and by participating in what is happening around them.  “Learning is, as it were, distributed among co-participants, not a one person act.” (p.15). Lave and Wenger share with the reader five studies of apprenticeship.  

The group in this study that I will discuss is the Mayan midwives in Mexico.  This study was particularly interesting given that this group lacks a formalized process of apprenticeship yet learning is clearly happening. (p. 84) The Yucatec Mayan midwives in Mexico pass down from generation to generation their knowledge and their expertise of what a midwife does on a daily basis.   These midwives don’t take classes and notes to learn what how to become a midwife, rather they learn by observing an expert in everyday, real life situations.  They learn by taking on small responsibilities and by doing.  “…learning is a way of being in the social world, not a way of coming to know about it.” (p.24)   Often the occupation of being a mid-wife in this society is a family matter and as such young girls learn by observing their mothers and grandmothers and taking part in what is happening.    “For midwives in Yucatan, apprenticeship is integrated into daily life and it is only recognized after the fact that they have served an apprenticeship...” (p.67) As the young girls mature they observe first- hand what their mothers and grandmothers are doing.  They quickly gain knowledge of what will be required of them as a midwife.  A young girl over a period of time will learn additional skills and have extra duties to perform.    “As time goes on, the apprentice takes over more and more of the work load, starting with the routine and tedious parts…” (p.69) In short, the learning is taking place in an informal manner and one might even say it’s a cultural phenomenon based on the “family business”.  I really related to this fact since in my own family there is a family business that has been passed down through  three generations on the male side of my family which in addition to formal education, also  learned to run the family business by observation and doing. It was just part of how things were done in my family and I think this is also the case for the Yucatan mid-wives as well.

Eighty years ago my grandfather Vincent Joseph Mc Gillivray, at the age of 21 years of age, started a funeral home and ambulance business.  My dad grew up living in the family Funeral Home.  When my dad was very young he was given a number of chores to do around the funeral home. He had great admiration for my grandfather, for his hard work and determination to make his business succeed.  Over the years my dad worked closely with my grandfather.  When he started in the business, he would mow the lawn, wash cars, empty garbage, etc.  Throughout the years my grandfather took the time to show my dad what would be expected of him if he was to choose this as a job, no breaks at Christmas, few holidays, no sick days, dealing with many types of people, etc.  .   My grandfather was the expert and my dad the apprentice. My dad was learning by observing and participating in daily responsibilities “learning by doing”. (p.31)  My dad, the newcomer, was given more and more responsibility with every new thing he learned about the business.  When my dad turned 21 years of age, my grandfather made the decision that it was time for him to start working on his own.  My grandfather sent my dad to New Waterford, prepared with all the skills that had been passed downed to him.  My dad would now work on a daily basis with another expert in the business.  My dad was able to continue to work with my grandfather and ask for help when needed.  My dad is now 71 years old and is still working seven days a week in the family business.  Over the years he has moved from apprentice to expert, and the tradition has continued as my two brothers now run the family business.  Both my brothers learned what they know from my father who passed onto them what his father had passed on to him.  My brothers started to work in the business at a very young age, observing, participating and doing.   They learned from my father what they needed to know, all they needed to know about running a family business.  Could they have learned all that they know from a classroom or a textbook? I believe that it wouldn’t be possible.  Each generation learned by participating.    “…learning is a way of being in the social world, not a way of coming to know about it.” (p.24)

Thanks for reading!

Marilyn