Exploring the -isms:
Tips and Techniques to Use When Teaching about Racism and Sexism

written by Heather Van Mullem, PhD, Lewis-Clark State College

Introduction

Teaching is both a skill and an art form. Creating an environment that supports student exploration and growth can be a daunting endeavor especially when the topics of conversation are challenging. Creating a safe space where people feel comfortable to share their perspectives on sensitive issues is difficult. In the classes I teach, I often focus conversations regarding the impact of –ism's - i.e. racism, sexism, classism, etc. – on thoughts and actions. It’s often challenging to facilitate open and honest discussions on subjects like these not only because the topics are sensitive to address, but because students are hesitant to share personal perspectives for fear of offending classmates.

Often my students will say things like, "Dr. Van Mullem….Why do we have to talk about this stuff? These things (i.e. racism, sexism, classism, etc.) are no longer a problem." Many people are uncomfortable with exploring societal –isms because the -isms, in fact still are a problem. Society continues to battle prejudice every day.

Prejudice is characterized as, "an unfair feeling or dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc." (Prejudice, n.d.). Human beings are not perfect. Truthfully, all of us are flawed. Edward R. Murrow, the famous television broadcaster, once said, “Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices – just recognize them” (Moncur, n.d.). I think he was right. If we really want to enact positive social change, it is crucial that we find a way to discuss and address prejudices of our own and those of others. It’s important that we know we have limitations. Only through this acknowledgement can we truly work towards improvement and social justice.

Starting the Conversation

Sports can be an effective platform from which to explore –isms. Sports are frequently cited as an ideal environment for learning social values like hard work, teamwork, persistence, and perseverance (Lumpkin, Stoll & Beller, 2003). Sports are valued and loved activities in American society (Coakley, 2007) and are often seen as an arena in which all can participate, regardless of race, gender, social class, or political affiliation. But as Eitzen (2001, p. 1) has argued, sport is "a microcosm of society." What happens in sport is a reflection of what is occurring in society and vice versa (Coakley, 2007).

To get students engaged in exploring their own prejudices, the conversation must become personal. Students must be able to view these issues through their own eyes and in the context of their lives. One way to accomplish this is to first have students respond to a short series of questions that lead into an instructor-facilitated discussion.

Tackling Racism

Begin class by providing students with a definition of racism. Next provide each student with a piece of paper with the following questions listed and appropriate space to provide answers: "What sports do many ___(fill in the blank with a race)___ people participate in? Why?" Ask this question multiple times to allow students to provide responses for different races. After you have given students time to compose their responses, open the discussion up to the class. Give students the option of whether or not to share their responses in class. However, ask them to submit their answers to you anonymously at the conclusion of class. Their perspectives will provide you with a more complete understanding of their thoughts on the topic which can help you to craft future discussions. Create a master list of responses that the entire class can view (i.e. on a white board, easel, Elmo, etc.).

After students have had a chance to share their responses and your master list has been created, look for commonly identified sports and common explanations of participation patterns. Examples of common responses revealed during this activity in my class are shown in Table 1:

Table 1: Common responses revealed during discussion on race

Explore with the class what factors may have influenced their answers (i.e. region of country where they grew up, social-cultural expectations, etc.). Move the discussion into small groups of 3-4 people. Small group discussions may eliminate some anxiety that students feel about sharing their thoughts with a large audience. Ask the small groups to consider and discuss their views on race and how these views could possibly impose limitations on their own beliefs or those of others. After a period of time, ask a representative from each group to summarize to the class their group’s discussion.

Tackling Sexism

Begin class by providing students with a definition of sexism. Next provide students with a piece of paper with the following four questions and enough space to respond:

1. List as many words and/or phrases you can think of that describe a man.
2. List as many words and/or phrases you can think of that describe a woman.
3. List as many words and/or phrases you can think of that describe someone who is masculine.
4. List as many words and/or phrases you can think of that describe someone who is feminine.

After you have given students time to compose their responses, open the discussion up to the class. Give students the option of whether or not to share their responses to the whole class. However, ask them to submit their answers to you anonymously at the conclusion of class. As with racism, their perspectives will provide you with a more complete understanding of their thoughts on the topic which can help you to craft future discussions. Again, create a master list of responses that the entire class can view (i.e. on a white board, easel, Elmo, etc.). Examples of common responses revealed during this activity in my class appear in Table 2:

Table 2: Common responses revealed during discussion on sex/gender

With the four lists side-by-side, ask the class to pick out words or phrases that they would also associate with the term “athlete.” Look for common words and/or phrases. Use their responses to generate a discussion of why we view an "athlete" in a certain way. To eliminate any anxiety students might feel about sharing their thoughts with a large audience divide them into small groups of 3-4 people. Ask students to discuss what motivates these perceptions, what possible limitations these perceptions might impose on themselves and/or others, and how these perceptions can impact how we view gender in sport. After a period of time, ask a representative from each group to summarize to the class their group’s discussion.

Concluding Thoughts

Creating a classroom environment that supports and facilitates discussions about sensitive topics can be challenging. Using sport as the context, the examples described above offer one approach to encourage dialogue and self-reflection about racism or sexism in American society.

References

Coakley, J. (2007). Sports in society: Issues and controversies (9th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.

Eitzen, D.S. (2001). Sport in contemporary society (6th ed). New York, NY: Worth.

Lumpkin, A., Stoll, S.K., & Beller, J. (2003). Sport Ethics: Applications for Fair Play (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Moncur, M. (n.d.). Quotation #3276. Retrieved September 13, 2013, from
http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/3276.html%29.

Prejudice. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013, from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prejudice

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