Small Actions That Can Cut the Pyramid of Prejudice Down to Size

In this powerful Kappan article, David Light Shields (Saint Louis Community College) describes comments that are heard almost every day in schools:

• “Boys will be boys.”
• “That’s so gay!”
• “It figures that he’s good at math – he’s Asian.”
• “He throws like a girl.”
• “Oh, that’s lame.”

Comments like these feel wrong but often fly below the disciplinary radar, seemingly not serious enough to challenge.

“While subdued forms of everyday prejudice may seem harmless,” says Shields, “appearances can be deceiving. Such commonplace prejudices form the foundation upon which more extreme acts of prejudice build. And they leave us vulnerable to costly errors of judgment that can have tragic consequences. That is why addressing prejudice in the classroom is as crucial to our youth’s education as learning to read.”

At their most basic level, preconceptions about others are an “inevitable part of human cognition,” says Shields. “Stereotypes are cognitive maps that help us simplify our highly complex social world. To some extent, they are necessary for mental efficiency and ease. Still, that efficiency comes at the cost of accuracy and fairness.” He goes on to provide some helpful definitions:

• Prejudice – One psychological root of prejudice is people’s need to feel good about themselves, which often comes by comparing something they are or have – being middle class or being American, for example – with something that others aren’t or don’t have. Prejudices like these can prevent the privileged from understanding what it’s like to be less fortunate. 
• Discrimination is actions, policies, or social arrangements that disadvantage people based on their group. Discrimination is sometimes embedded in organizations and can continue even if individuals implementing discriminatory policies aren’t themselves prejudiced. 
• Sexism, racism, classism, etc. – “The ‘-isms’ are fundamentally about prejudices combining with power, though the power may be exercised in subtle and indirect ways,” says Shields.

He then explains the pyramid principle. Most people are at the broad base of the pyramid, where everyday prejudices and acts of discrimination often go unnoticed – “they have a quiet, inconspicuous, everyday quality to them,” says Shields, and most people at this level would be shocked to be described as prejudiced or discriminatory.

Moving up the pyramid, a smaller number of people engage in comments and actions that are more overt, obvious, and extreme. At the top of the pyramid, a very small number of people commit horrendous acts. “The key point is that every vertical movement up the pyramid builds from and depends upon the attitudes and behaviors established by the levels below,” says Shields. “[T]he blatant prejudices of the few are magnifications of the latent prejudices of the many… acts of hate or discrimination carried out by the troubled few are actually ugly and exaggerated reflections of imperfections in ourselves.” 

People at the base of the pyramid don’t see themselves as part of the problem – that’s the lunatics at the top, they think. “But none of us are completely free of bias,” says Shields, “most of which is unconscious.” Recent psychological research has shown that a lot of what goes on in our brains is “fast thinking,” and that’s where most biases and prejudices operate. Stereotypes about male and female behavior are common in schools – blue and pink clothing, “boys’ toys” and “girls’ toys”, “feminine” behavior – all based on assumptions about gender that can reinforce biases against those who don’t conform. 

Stereotypes about race are also common. For example, an African-American boy is described as “aggressive” while a white boy with similar behaviors is “spirited.” A black girl is described as a “natural” athlete. Teachers may be more alert to rule violations by black than by white children. “Most prejudices at the base of the pyramid have few immediate and obvious negative consequences,” says Shields. “Their cost comes from their cumulative effect and the launching pad they provide for expressions of prejudice at higher levels.” 

The higher on the pyramid we go, the more it’s the legal system that should provide remedies. The lower on the pyramid we go, “the more it is the educational system that needs to take responsibility,” says Shields. “That is where schools and teachers need to shoulder responsibility.” The problem is that educators who step up to the plate on small manifestations of prejudice are often told, “You’re just being PC.” A lot of people are so afraid of the “politically correct” put-down that they don’t speak up when they should. “Every act at the bottom of the pyramid is shouldering part of the responsibility for those acts residing above,” says Shields. A boy laughs at a racist joke but defends himself by saying he didn’t use the “n” word. He doesn’t see how he’s part of continuing racial prejudice in the community.

What should K-12 educators do? Step one, says Shields, is self-awareness. Why is the Latina girl in a playground fight singled out as the aggressor? Underlying a lot of prejudice is an us/them mindset and we need to be aware of it. Step two is speaking up. “Silence endorses,” he says. “Silence leaves harmful patterns uninterrupted. Speak with humility and grace, but speak up when everyday prejudices are expressed or exhibited.”

Step three is a schoolwide dialogue. “Spotting prejudices in others is easier than seeing them in ourselves,” says Shields, “and an open, honest discussion can be helpful. Dealing with the adult culture of the school is a prerequisite to dealing effectively with students and their peer culture.” These themes can be incorporated into character-education programs, cooperative learning structures in classrooms, and competitive team sports (using heterogeneous teams within which diverse students can build bridges). 

And then there’s the academic curriculum: “If you teach biology, why not challenge the false dualism of male and female?” asks Shields. “If you teach health and physical education, why not reflect on why there are significant health disparities across racial and ethnic groups or why gay athletes have a hard time coming out? If you teach literature, social studies, or history, the possibilities are almost endless.” 

“Deconstructing the Pyramid of Prejudice” by David Light Shields in Phi Delta Kappan, March 2014 (Vol. 95, #6, p. 20-24), www.kappanmagazine.org; Shields can be reached at dshields32@stlcc.edu. 

From the Marshall Memo #530