CR #3

What?: In Tatum’s article they explain the differences between domination and subordination but yet combined their similarities. It says how dominant groups set the parameters while the subordinates operate (Tatum). The way I understand this better is that domination will always have the bigger influence than subordination. They will have the first to act, say, and feel. In other words, they have more power than the ones who are insubordination. An example they used with the two definitions is how the white man will have more power than the black man.

So What?: Having the understanding of both sides is very important. Sometimes giving yourself too much pride is not going to give the satisfaction that you need or want. Simply just getting on the same eye level and understanding where a person is coming from is what they need. From the article, “Close Encounter of the Human Kind,” by Abraham Verghese explains how he came to help the refugees but there was one victim that caught him off guard. The patient explains to him where he was in the past 5 days. The patient gave him the realization that they are humans as well and sometimes a doctor needs to hear them out more. I think Abraham would suggest that we should understand everyone and know where one is coming from. Simply doing that can make a big difference.

Now What?: Again with the whole understanding, all lot can come from it. It can create a big difference one people’s life. Calderon explained how a teacher simply going to his house to teach him English made a big impact to is life. His teacher even went out of the classroom to his grandmother’s house to help him teach his second language, English. One thing that I really liked about the article is how “learning and understanding others perspective, language, and culture, Barack Obama not only improved democratic participation, but also became better able to understand himself..” For me, simply having a teacher getting on my “level” when i was younger for the reason that I was one out of the few people of color in a dominant white school made me feel better. Feeling acknowledged can make a great difference.