The Truth Behind a Label

Jarrod Regan
17303024
Critically discuss the statement that to better match beliefs about diversity with practice, we
must examine how our own intercultural sensitivities about difference and diversity might
impact upon students learning.

Society constantly influences the perspectives of its people, therefore, in order to match
beliefs of racial diversity with practise, a critical view of societys effect on racial
perspectives will allow teachers to accurately develop intercultural sensitivities valuing
diversity, difference and uniqueness towards their students. The social issue of racial
labelling threatens the development of racial beliefs of diversity which effects how
individuals practise racial awareness and intercultural sensitivities. Racial labelling
consciously or unconsciously brands an individuals attitudes, behaviours and capabilities,
solely based upon racial background. Racial labelling spawns from a dominant discourse that
arises from the macro systems of society such as the colonial history of white dominance in
post-colonial western societies or through the social structuring of society through race. This
dominant discourse creates a power basis for many races to receive a negative label, while
other gains control over the minority. Post-Colonial and Social Functionalist theories analyse
and breakdown both aspects of this discourse. The dominant discourse produce a particular
framework for racial labelling which influences the intercultural sensitivities of the general
public. For teachers in the classroom, the symbolic interactionalism theory demonstrates that
the societal expectations temper the role that race represents. This also effects how students
perceive their own capabilities and opportunities. The symbolic interaction further effects a
teachers practises in the classroom. The dominant discourse creates a biased judgement in
teachers towards a students potential as their intercultural sensitivities become combined
with a dominant discourse that actively labels and defines an individual by their racial
background. This practise not only demonstrates the influence of societys dominant
discourse but also emphasises a need for teachers and pre service teachers, to be aware of its
influence in the classroom so that personal beliefs of diversity, difference and uniqueness
may be practised, instead of hindered, within the classroom.

The western image of an inclusive society that harbours a multitude of cultures and races,
such as Australia, America and Europe, must be held under scrutiny by educators, due to the
latent separation of people from a foreign background from those with a white background.
The image of a unified Western society pioneered by European principles, although
commendable, creates a discourse which racially labels between the typical western image of
the ideal person, namely Caucasian men, and others (Smaje, 1997, p. 309). Although Post-
Colonial theories seek to strip away at this image of western dominance in favour for
repairing the colonial impact on immigrant and Aboriginal communities, (Ferfolja, Jones
Diaz, & Ullman, 2015, p. 10) it is clear that such a discourse and theory still develops a racial
label which discusses and emphasises the white being perceived as supervisors and protectors
to the minority races entering the society (Manathung, 2011, p. 369). Australias history with
immigration and the concept of non-white, emphasises such a change where the inclusion of

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others outside of the typical western image is met with a discourse that favours white control.
The dominant discourse in Australia towards immigrants, harbours a primarily negative view
(Bilodeau & Fadol, 2011, p. 1103) which stems from various sources such as the White
Australia policy and a white superior position in Australias history. This generates a
labelling distinction between the white or English speaking communities to individuals that
enter the country (Bilodeau & Fadol, 2011, p. 1104). Teachers must carefully considered
racial labelling as a possible influence on their beliefs of diversity. This influence will affect
the intercultural sensitivities and beliefs of diversity they may harbour towards multicultural
students

With a post-colonial society such as Australia drawing upon a racially focused perspective,
individuals from these outside communities react through a drastic change in their own
personal views of their own race or culture. Educators must be attentive that it is not only the
social perspectives of race that effects their interactions and beliefs of diversity with students,
but also the effect this perspective may have on multicultural students and their interactions
with white teachers. Irene Yoon conducted a study on classrooms where a teacher of a
Caucasian decent were teaching classes of primary, multicultural students (Yoon, 2012).
Yoons findings demonstrate that Caucasian teachers must undergo a transition in their
understanding of race due to their cultural backgrounds, in order to accurately educate
without an underlying negative or deficit-based beliefs about students (Yoon, 2012, p. 597).
Similarly students also undergo a process that drives them to merge racial understandings due
to the Western and colonial perspectives. As post-colonial societies label individuals as white
or other, young people of a racial background outside the white image seek to find identity
through the melding of western image with the racial perspectives of their original
background (Manathung, 2011, p. 369). This process in post-colonial theories is referred to as
hybridising (Moran, 2016, p. 712) and for students it encapsulates a unique moment of
particular self-conscious intercultural exchange (Moran, 2016, p. 710) in regards to their
personal perspective on their position within society and its effect on their everyday life.
Students frequently develop their own unique perspectives on society and race as a post-
colonial society labels them as outsiders but welcomes their inclusion into white dominated
society under western principles. Such development are essential in the cultural sensitivities
of a teacher who may represent the white society but also must be aware of the unique
position multicultural students go through in the effort to conform into the racial label of
white society rather than a label of outsider.

Modern societys macro structure defines itself in various ways and one such structure
focuses on race. The structure of race further promotes racial labelling in society through the
fabrication of particular images or behaviours that are perceived to define a race as a whole.
The creation of a dominant discourse focused on these particular traits (Watkins, 2015, p.
152) links personal power and liberties an individual may practice to their racial label.
Although structuring society allows for the latent function of social cohesion and safety in
groupings, for teachers aware of their intercultural sensitivities and beliefs of diversity, the
manifest function of racial labelling that develops from such structures are influential in the

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perceptions teachers may hold on their students. Meanwhile students also become confronted
with the labelling developed in the macro system and must confront or conform to these
assumptions. In a modern age of film and media, images of racial groups generate a vast
influence on individuals within a society through the discourse that films generate. This
discourse directly generates and effects the assumed knowledge of its viewers, heavily
influencing the subject material (Gainer, 2010, p. 366) which includes the labelling of race.
The film industries influence on race stretches to the labelling of academic potential and
attitudes of particular races in society. When these images of film are confronted by movie
goers of various different races, the racial labelling displayed in films image will inform and
organise knowledge into an assumption of a races typical behaviours and actions (Gainer,
2010, p. 368). The knowledge supplied through these images solidify the social structure that
groups races and encompasses their society into a label.

Multicultural students often find these labels restrictive as personal beliefs conclude that
teachers and society may harness these labels in order to produce expectations of behaviours
and results. Such mentality quickly effects the self-esteem of students and views of their
personal capabilities due to their social standing. Marianne Modicas study on racial labelling
supplied through social structure emphasises such effects (Modica, 2015). Her study
uncovers that students of specific racial profiles, in this case an African American, underwent
dramatic shifts in personal opinion in regards to their ability to move outside their racial label
in order to progress in society stating simply that My skin colour stops me from leading
(Modica, 2015, p. 80). Modicas study demonstrates that the dominant discourse favours
those of particular races while others continue to be unfavourably viewed due to their label.
For races outside this discourse of dominance, the label they receive highlights a power
difference that limits the freedom of choice that many other racial group may draw upon. In
effect the racial structure that develops racial labelling creates the perpetual outsiders
because of their race, irrespective of class status. (Rollock, 2014, p. 448). The structuring of
the macro system of society encapsulates groups by race in an effort to produce social
cohesion. The ramifications of such a system stem from when such labels actively create a
biased against certain races based upon the dominant discourse their structure may develop.
Educators living within such systems cannot remove the potential of influence that these
systems have on classrooms and the image that students may believe they equate to. Teachers
must be aware of their sensitivities towards students that are perceived under a particular
label and make conscious effort to forgo this assumed knowledge in favour of understanding
a student as a unique individual in a diverse world.

Macro systems of society develop under constant influence from post-colonial and structural
formations of race. Teachers within the micro system of a classroom must overwatch the
potential influence that these larger systems dominant discourse may have on their views of
students. The belief in diversity on a social scale should match the practise of understanding
the unique individual student within the classroom. If not practiced, the unconscious
influence will develop a biased perspectives which have a dramatic affect in the classroom.
Poorly based assumptions, driven by racial labels, effect teachers views on racially differing
students and their capability in the classroom. The theory of Symbolic Interactionalism

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carefully deconstructs the use of symbolic representations, such as race and racial labelling.
When students symbolically represent a particular racial label, teachers may receive this as
foreknowledge which is influenced by outside sources (Moran, 2016). These perceptions
actively influence a teachers expectations of students ranging from the successfulness of
their participation, to the behaviour they may exhibit in class. Ronald Furguson argues that
such predictions are based on a racial biased that in many cases are generated by experience
and are often times correct but are also a self-fulfilling prophecy (Ferguson, 2003, p. 494).
This means that the accuracy of prediction also lies in the teachers attitudes towards their
students races (Ferguson, 2003, p. 495). The use of this theory highlights the symbolic effect
racial labelling can have on the identity, social roles and perceptions that individuals develop,
such as the relationship of a teacher to a student, in face to face interaction and how bias will
generate particular beliefs which contradict the values of diversity and difference.

Academic achievement predictions may also develop from the symbolic representation that
racial labelling develops. A study of Norwegian teachers and their accuracy to predict
language competencies of majority language groups to the minority teaching groups, revealed
that teachers educating students in the majority language often accurately predicted students
of the majority language obtaining better marks then those of the minority group (Wold,
2013, p. 521). Upon further study however, when asked to predict the minority groups
competency, the estimation of competency for the majority groups was overvalued and the
minority groups was undervalued compared to the eventual score (Wold, 2013, p. 521). The
inaccuracy was attributed in part by the stereotypes connected to the language
minority/majority status of the child (Wold, 2013, p. 521). In the classroom, race and racial
labelling are factors that teachers must be aware of when dealing with their students. When
conscious or unconscious assumptions are made in regards to a students race it may have
damaging effects in regards to the students attitudes in class as well as their academic
potential. Teachers should be mindful that in applying racial labelling not only are they
hindering students, there also lies a lack of connection between the beliefs in diversity and
difference to the practise of teaching through a racial label.

The concept of race has been used in various fashions. Social communities, politics,
economics and dominance of power are all instances where race has been used to justify
particular perspectives. The issue of racial labelling originates from these origins. Racial
labels in society denote a persons particular attitudes, natures and even capabilities from
avenues such as post-colonial attitudes of racial discourse of white dominance or the
development of particular images of typical people within a racial profile in order to support
a social structure. Both of these perspectives influence the macro systems of society and
effect the intercultural perspectives of all people, which are emphasised through the use of
their respective sociological theories. Teachers and pre-service teachers frequently work with
students from multiple backgrounds in an effort to provide education. When the beliefs of
white dominance or typical characteristics invade intercultural sensitivities of a teacher,
teaching methods and perspectives begin to favour the dominant discourse and beliefs of
equal opportunity, diversity and difference begin to become void. In an effort to unite beliefs
of diversity with the practise of universal education, teachers must evaluate their own

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intercultural sensitives in order to remove any influence societys dominant discourse of
racial labelling may have in their classrooms, not only to provide an equal opportunity
classroom but to also put into practise, as a role model, an open mind of a childs potential
regardless of the racial label that may surround them.

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