As much as I wish that putting kids raised with these beliefs into schools with open, honest and tolerant attitudes would change their minds, I doubt it will happen.
On one I'd agree that sending kids to grade schools and high schools that are open and tolerant probably won't help the kid overcome prejudice, because they'll still be getting it at home and (likely) at church and probably in their social circles, as well.
On the other hand, I think college is a rather different story. At least it was with me. But it was a combination of things that helped me.
I really overcame my prejudice during college, and to be honest it took all four years to get there completely. I'm sure I still have things to learn. But I think one of the things that made college such a great time for growth was that I was surrounded by all sorts of people who were very different from me, and I was six hours away from my home town. Honestly, just getting out of that environment does a lot to change things. When you're thrust into a new environment, it takes a lot of work not to have an open mind, and to hold on to your prejudices. (It can be done, of course, but it's pretty difficult.) You're not surrounded by all sorts of people who all have the same opinions as you and raise their kids to believe the same things. You have to interact with people who think differently, and just seeing them as people rather than the faceless other does a lot to make you rethink your opinions.
Ironically, one of the other things that helped me in college was that I was lazy. :P So instead of driving to a church that preached the kind of rhetoric I was used to (and I did do that a couple of times), I mostly started going to Catholic Mass, because there was a Catholic church on campus so I could get up later. And since it was the campus church all the preaching was done by Jesuits. ;) They took issues of prejudice and injustice and put them in a religious context, which was a language I could understand. Only after that did I start thinking seriously about things and being honest with myself.
Eh, I don't know if that made any sense. But as for your last comment, you're not out of line at all. Actually I think that's one of the greatest things anyone has ever told me. :) Thank you.
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Date: 2008-07-31 06:33 am (UTC)On one I'd agree that sending kids to grade schools and high schools that are open and tolerant probably won't help the kid overcome prejudice, because they'll still be getting it at home and (likely) at church and probably in their social circles, as well.
On the other hand, I think college is a rather different story. At least it was with me. But it was a combination of things that helped me.
I really overcame my prejudice during college, and to be honest it took all four years to get there completely. I'm sure I still have things to learn. But I think one of the things that made college such a great time for growth was that I was surrounded by all sorts of people who were very different from me, and I was six hours away from my home town. Honestly, just getting out of that environment does a lot to change things. When you're thrust into a new environment, it takes a lot of work not to have an open mind, and to hold on to your prejudices. (It can be done, of course, but it's pretty difficult.) You're not surrounded by all sorts of people who all have the same opinions as you and raise their kids to believe the same things. You have to interact with people who think differently, and just seeing them as people rather than the faceless other does a lot to make you rethink your opinions.
Ironically, one of the other things that helped me in college was that I was lazy. :P So instead of driving to a church that preached the kind of rhetoric I was used to (and I did do that a couple of times), I mostly started going to Catholic Mass, because there was a Catholic church on campus so I could get up later. And since it was the campus church all the preaching was done by Jesuits. ;) They took issues of prejudice and injustice and put them in a religious context, which was a language I could understand. Only after that did I start thinking seriously about things and being honest with myself.
Eh, I don't know if that made any sense. But as for your last comment, you're not out of line at all. Actually I think that's one of the greatest things anyone has ever told me. :) Thank you.