Racial Profiling

This is an IB English Language & Literature written task 1 (which is a creative writing assignment in which you initiate a certain form of writing-Letter of complaint in this case, and demonstrate your understanding of the topics covered in class-”Language and Power-Racial Profiling.)”

In class, we talked a lot about “language and power” and what it means for racial profiling. READ this website to help you get an understanding of language and power-racial profiling.

http://www.thinkib.net/englishalanglit/page/10542/racial-profiling

After you have read this page, read this primary text that I would like to use to write a letter of complaint to the United States Department of Justice.

Routine Patrol Duties Must Be Carried Out Without Consideration of Race
United States Department of Justice
2003

Federal law enforcement agencies and officers sometimes engage in law enforcement activities, such as traffic and foot patrols, that generally do not involve either the ongoing investigation of specific criminal activities or the prevention of catastrophic events or harm to the national security. Rather, their activities are typified by spontaneous action in response to the activities of individuals whom they happen to encounter in the course of their patrols and about whom they have no information other than their observations. These general enforcement responsibilities should be carried out without anyconsideration of race or ethnicity.

Example: While parked by the side of the highway, a federal officer notices that nearly all vehicles on the road are exceeding the posted speed limit. Although each such vehicle is committing an infraction that would legally justify a stop, the officer may not use race or ethnicity as a factor in deciding which motorists to pull over. Likewise, the officer may not use race or ethnicity in deciding which detained motorists to ask to consent to a search of their vehicles.

^USE this primary text above to help you write the letter of complaint to the United States Department of Justice.

This will be a “creative essay,” or in other words, a letter of complaint to the United States Department of Justice regarding racial profiling occurring in language and power. Please write in first person from an African American male and how he feels, what he experienced with racial profiling (Maybe same scenario as primary text? Getting pulled over by a cop just because he is African American), and how he feels that it is unjust to imply stereotypes. MAKE SURE to always refer back to “language and power” as that is the key topic. Please do not get carried away while typing this letter of complaint.

*ALSO include these key terms (ALL 4) in the essay!

*Cultural Relativism: Cultural relativism is the principle of regarding the beliefs, values, and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture itself.

*Ethnocentrism: is the belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group

*Cultural Bias: is not being objective, but judging something from another culture with reference to what is usual in your own culture

*Dialect: is a variety of language that is unique in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

Please do not make the letter of complaint more than 1,000 words as that as the limit! Also, please write a rationale of 200-300 words explaining what this Written task is going to be about. Please use this layout to help you write the rationale.

In the rationale you must explain:

• how the content of the task is linked to Language and Power

• how the task is intended to explore particular aspects of the topic

• the nature of the task chosen (content and medium as well as style and register) •

• information about audience, purpose and the context in which the task is set

• The rationale should not only include knowledge about Language and Power but also about the formal conventions of the text type produced and how they relate to the aims of the task.

THIS is the main learning outcome for this written task: (The bold text is the aim for my written task!!)

• Demonstrate an awareness of how language and meaning are shaped by culture and context. Points to be considered could include:

– the ways in which jargon and professional language are used

– the ways in which language affirms identity

– the status given to standard and non-standard forms of the language

– the status of minority languages in multilingual societies.

Look at this link for tips before writing the written task 1, part 1.

http://www.englishalanglit-inthinking.co.uk/written-tasks/wt1-tips.htm