Bilgrami 2001 What Might Be

Bilgrami 2001

What might be the implications of this lack of recognition in a teaching setting?

Many subjects may identify with some characteristic that is not to others what is most salient about them...a kind of self deception or at least a self-myopia," (Bilgrami 2001). In an educational setting, the self-deception that results from lack of recognition of certain aspects of the person's objective identity can have serious consequences on that individual's ability to think critically. Issues related to race, class, religion, gender, and power cannot be discussed openly unless learners are fully aware of how those issues affect them. Learning about history, literature, and any number of other subjects requires perspective and worldview. That perspective will be shaped by the identity of the dominant culture. Some students will readily identify with the dominant culture without being aware of why: such as by sublimating aspects of his or her ethnic background in order to assimilate. Other students will not identify with the dominant culture at all, especially if those students are new immigrants or speak languages other than English. Worldview will also be shaped by the identities of individual students in a heterogeneous classroom. Diverse classrooms create the possibility for a clash between objective and subjective identities.

Furthermore, as Bilgrami (2001) points out, the denied parts of a person's identity may or may not emerge in their behavior. The teacher is rarely able to understand a student's identity if parts of that objective identity cannot be pinpointed in their behavior. Identity issues are deeply personal, too, and often outside of the jurisdiction teachers have to help their students. To confront an individual about his or her objective identity and the lack of recognition thereof might be socially inappropriate. The teacher would risk his or her relationship with that student and possibly encounter ethical and even legal conundrums. Teachers are also subject to self-denial or self-myopia. Their biases and self-deceptions are certain to impact their approach to teaching, their relationships with students, and their relationships with coworkers.

2. What might be the responsibility of a teacher who believes that a particular aspect of a learner's identity is hidden from that learner?

Responsibility depends partly on the age or grade level of the student, but teachers do have an obligation to help students become more aware of who they are and why they think, feel, and act as they do. The first step for teachers will be to create a supportive classroom environment that is built on a foundation of open inquiry and diversity. Next, teachers need to approach identity on a general level with the class as a whole. Bringing up the aspects of personhood that help create identity can help start a dialogue and encourage critical and creative thinking in the class. Teachers can raise issues related to race, class, gender, religion, and power in a sensitive, culturally competent manner and then perhaps create lessons that encourage students to explore their own backgrounds and identities. However, when individual students or a group of students are unaware of some aspects of their identity, teachers have a tougher job.

In many cases, those aspects of a student's identity that he or she does not recognize will not be related to race, class, gender, or power. They may be personality traits or biases. In other cases, students might echo the prejudicial beliefs of their parents. Teachers have a responsibility to expose prejudice and bias for what they are, but in a way that does not offend students. As students mature and reach puberty, issues related to sexual identity and gender orientation will come up, further complicating teachers' responsibilities to their students.

3. What might be the ramifications of a teacher not recognizing aspects of his or her own identity?

The ramifications of a teacher not recognizing aspects of his or her own identity are often insignificant: such as personality quirks or eccentricities. Students and coworkers might whisper behind that teacher's back because of the hidden aspects of identity, as many times the quirks are comedic. The teacher might dress funny or say certain things that betray their identities even though those quirks are ironically hidden from the teacher.

However, aspects of a teacher's identity that are repressed or denied can emerge in more serious ways such as in biases in lessons and curricula. The teacher could select material that reflected his or her subconscious identity without knowing. That part of the teacher's identity might coincide with prejudices or biases. The teacher might unconsciously omit lessons on areas that betray their identity but not realize they are doing so.