Critical Reflection One: Disciplinary Reform

The article by Edward W. Morris (2005) discusses disciplinary reform in education with regards to dress and manner. Morris notes how students and teachers interacted when it came to dress and manner and how it alienated different race, class and genders. Focusing on mainly African American girls, Latino males and white and Asian males Morris describes how each is perceived by educational authorities. Clothing and manner “can function as very important and visible aspects of cultural capital” (Morris, p. 26). It is assumed when people choose to dress a particular way it is to stand out but in many cases it is to fit in and not feel alienated from the people that you want to associate with (i.e. your community). Morris states his “literature suggests that race, class, and gender are not inherent characteristics people possess but identities people work to inhabit and re-create” (p. 28). I personally believe that these stereotypes of class, race and gender-based cultural capital have impacted my own education and those of my peers.

At Matthew’s, the school which Morris observed, uniform dress “was intended to decrease gang activity…and make student poverty less visible” (p. 31). An interesting part of the article for me was when Miss Scott stated that dress uniform was an “easy way for teachers to assert their authority over the kids and make it look like they have control” (p. 42). Tucked in shirts brought control and order to the school that may not have been otherwise possible. When discussing African American girls Morris said they were told to “tuck in their shirts” and to “be quieter” which was deemed as a bad thing. But in the classroom their assertiveness and loudness was actually seen as a positive thing. Authority was more concerned with the girls not being “lady like” and emphasising anything not “lady like” as being wrong. Boys of any race, gender or class were hardly told to act like “gentlemen”. They were never told to be quiet or to mind their manners. Boys are somewhat exempted from the manners “code” because boys are just “naturally” that way.

  I come from a small town where you go to elementary school all the way to high school with the same people. Everyone had their little group of friends that they stuck to for most of our school lives and we were all generally the same race, gender and class. I have thought about it before but not in depth about how there was a class based cultural capital that affected our education that I never really realized until now. My friends and I all come from middle class families and were know as the “good girls”. Our teachers knew our families and knew what was expected of us so they had a depiction of what we would be like. There were numerous times that I got away with things most other students would not have.

There was one boy in my grade who would have been lower class. He had a hard family life and was a bit of a trouble maker but was a really nice guy. In about grade six I remember my French teacher just screaming at him because he did not bring his assignment in on time. If it had been me I would have been excused but I think knowing she could get away with belittling someone and their parents would not come in and say something gave her power she would not have usually had. I always noticed this particular teacher and other teachers that would pick on people that were lower class. At the time I just remember feeling really embarrassed for him but now looking back I can see how authority from someone like a teacher can really change someone’s direction in life. For the rest of middle school it was the same with many teachers. He failed courses and no one expected him to do well. By alienating this individual to make him feel more inferior probably because of his class and the way he acted had a significant impact on how his peers viewed him. Morris, E.W. (2005). ‘Tuck in that Shirt:’ Race, Class Gender and Discipline in an Urban School.    Sociological Perspectives, 48(1), 431-47.