Research Essay 1600 words
Haruko
ExampleA3.pdf
Viral Racism Outbreak: The Result of Coronavirus
Helena Wright s333247
22nd of May 2020
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
1
Helena Wright, s333247
Contents
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Background ................................................................................................................. 2
1.2 Aim .............................................................................................................................. 2
1.3 Scope ........................................................................................................................... 2
2. Summary and Observations ............................................................................................ 2
2.1 Summary of the interaction ......................................................................................... 2
2.2 Observations ................................................................................................................ 3
3. Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 4
3.1 Managing Bias............................................................................................................. 4
3.2 Cultural border crossings. ........................................................................................... 4
3.3 Relations of power ...................................................................................................... 5
3.4 White privilege ............................................................................................................ 5
4. Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 6
4.1 Managing bias ............................................................................................................. 6
4.2 Cultural border crossings ............................................................................................ 6
4.3 Relations of power ...................................................................................................... 6
4.4 Privilege ...................................................................................................................... 6
5. Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................ 7
References ................................................................................................................................. 8
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
2
Helena Wright, s333247
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
Cultural capabilities are required to create a safe space. Creating a safe space
encourages free speech, where support can be anticipated and the opportunity to
create generative interactions (Bernstein et al., 2019; Harless, 2018). When these
elements are lacking, students may be disempowered and are put at risk of their
cultural identity being diminished (Nursing Council of New Zealand, 2011). This
report will discuss the importance of cultural capabilities by analysing the interactions
of discrimination against Asians as a result of Coronavirus (Oung, 2020).
1.2 Aim
The aim of this report is to provide a summary, analysis and description of the unsafe
space created in the video, “coronavirus racism infected my high school” (Oung,
2020). This will be done by highlighting key concepts that contribute to the creation
of an unsafe space. A description and discussion of the scene will follow, outlining
the recommendations needed to improve the quality of a safe space.
1.3 Scope
This report is concerned with the short video “Coronavirus racism infected my high
school” (Oung, 2020). This report will use elements such as, understanding bias
(Kandola, 2013), power relations (Cummins, 2009), cultural border crossings
(Aikenhead, 1996), privilege (Bali, 2016; McIntosh, 1988) to analyse the cultural
capabilities.
2. Summary and Observations
2.1 Summary of the interaction
The short clip, “Coronavirus racism infected my high school,” (Oung, 2020) is an
opinion piece by an eleventh-grade high school student from Florida. The clip
explores the dangers of stereo types and unconscious bias towards Chinese people as
a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The focus of the clip is in a high school setting.
Two female students, including the author, discuss and analyse their interactions
with other students and how this has created an unsafe space.
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
3
Helena Wright, s333247
2.2 Observations
Table 1 identifies factors and behaviours that contribute to the making of an unsafe space in, “Coronavirus racism infected my high school”
(Oung, 2020).
Behaviours contributing to an unsafe space
Description of scene Signs of bias Signs of a cultural border
crossing
Collaborative or coercive
relations of power
Signs of privilege
- Series of reflections about
culturally unsafe
interactions
between students
at a high school.
- Accompanied with a series of
short snippets
from news
reports, reporting
on the racism
Asian people are
experiencing as a
result of
coronavirus.
- Classmate says, “Chinese people are
disgusting and that they
will eat anything.”
- Examples of priming the American public with
fear of Chinese people,
news reporter asking the
Chinese people for a
‘formal apology.’
- Bias of the classmates towards the Chinese
people.
- People boycotting a Chinese restaurant, but
not the Italian restaurant,
when Italy has thousands
of cases of coronavirus.
- Katherine reporting “It’s no wonder that her
friends feels this way,”
towards Chinese people.
Due to the news reports
surrounding coronavirus
- Failure of the classmates to make a cultural
understanding.
- Fear of young Chinese Americans to be
themselves in a school
environment.
- Confronting the classmate, as they
apologise to their
generalisation of all
Chinese people.
- Classmates singling out the Chinese students.
- News scene of an African American male
ordering a Chinese
American to move seats
on a train.
- One of the students interviewed is
accompanied by a
friend offering support.
- Worried mother suggesting Katherine
seek support for
bullying.
- Caucasian American classmates during the
“Chinese people are
disgusting” comment.
- General public of other races being able
to catch a train or walk
down the road
unharmed.
- News reporter asking the Chinese for a
‘formal apology.’
- Caucasian students not living in fear every day
to be who they are.
Helena Wright, s333247 4
3. Analysis
3.1 Managing Bias.
The classmates and media fail to manage their personal bias towards the Chinese
people. This is demonstrated in multiple comments made by classmates and the
media. The classmate’s statement, “everyone knows that Chinese people are
disgusting, they will eat any type of animal” demonstrates a bias towards the Chinese
people. This is contributing to an unsafe space within the academic setting. Bias is an
unintentional or intentional judgement that we form about other members of the
population (Kandola, 2013). By making such remarks, the minority group is at risk of
becoming the outgroup and further stereotyped (Kandola, 2013). Further outcasts are
made by the media and news reporters suggesting that ‘Chinese people owe an
apology.’ As Kandola (2013) outlines in his presentation, bias can be constructed
from influencing, or priming of the group. The news reporters demonstrate priming of
the public to believe that Chinese people are to blame for the coronavirus outbreak.
These concepts in conjunction are compromising the learning environment by
influencing young students. Where those who are marginalized, perform worse in
their academic tasks (Harless, 2018). Managing bias within an academic setting
therefore prevents marginalization of the minority group. It is important to manage
bias within this environment to ensure students feel comfortable in their ontologies
and can perform at their highest in their studies.
3.2 Cultural border crossings.
The media and classmates’ comments fail to demonstrate a cultural border crossing.
By failing to alter their behaviour and acknowledge the ontologies in their subcultures
of the population, they are contributing to the unsafe space (Aikenhead, 1996; Bin-
Sallik, 2003). International Asian students across predominately white countries are
returning home out of fear of being racially attacked (End coronavirus stigma now,
2020). Such fear is also evident in the short film, “coronavirus racism infected my
high school” and stems from the dominating culture’s inability to make that border
crossing. This inability is also present in the media scene of the new reporter asking
the Chinese people for an apology. Cultural border crossings are not always an issue
(Aikenhead, 1996). In the classroom scene, there is a female student showing support
if her Chinese American friend, pointing out that people shouldn’t be avoiding the
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
5
Helena Wright, s333247
local Chinese restaurant. This is demonstrating the classmate’s ability to empathise
and alter her behaviour to make an efficient border crossing with her Chinese
American friend (Aikenhead, 1996). Cultural border crossings are at the heart of
effective subcultural interactions and failure to do so only contributes to the creation
of an unsafe space.
3.3 Relations of power
Racial outbursts provoke a coercive relation of power that fails to exercise the
elements of a generative interaction. (Bernstein et al., 2019; Cummins, 2009). This
coercive power is highly evident in the in the scene where an African American
group is verbally abusing an Asian man, yelling “I hate Asians.” The dominate group
is actively seeking out to supress the ontology of the Asian man, thus illustrating a
coercive relation of power (Cummins, 2009). Further coercive relations of power are
exhibited by the classmates, when calling out that “all Asians are disgusting.” Both
interactions stem from a fear of the virus. However, more generative and
collaborative relations, that aim to empower are also illustrated (Bernstein et al.,
2019; Cummins 2009). When the friends of the Chinese American student shows
support with her comments about not boycotting the local Chinese restaurant, she is
illustrating a shared opinion or goal (Bernstein et al., 2019). Specifically, she is
facilitating collaboration and guiding a generative interaction (Bernstein et al., 2019).
Power of relations, influence the cultural safety felt by the subordinated group and if
expressed in a coercive way, contribute to the unsafe space.
3.4 White privilege
Katherine states that Chinese American students are living in fear every day, not only
for their health, but in fear of being themselves. Fear is the key ingredient in racial
comments (Devakumar et al., 2020). The white classmates hold a white privilege over
the Chinese students, this is contributing to the unsafe space. The white classmates
have an unearned privilege, for simply not being Asian (McIntosh, 1988). This of
course is dangerous and further fuels fear and racism. The privilege of simply walking
down the street in confidence of not being racially attacked, as was several Chinese
American’s in the media clips (McIntosh, 1988). In these scenes, the power of
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
6
Helena Wright, s333247
privilege is held by the dominant group and is provoked simply by colour of skin. The
news reporter that exercises his white privilege to ask for a formal apology from the
Chinese people, demonstrates white privilege is unearned, there is a sense of riotous
from the demand of an apology. Racial comments from privileged white populations
demonstrate the lack of cultural intelligence and contribute to the unsafe space.
4. Recommendations
4.1 Managing bias
A conscious effort must be made to eliminate bias and create a safe space (Kandola,
2013). Media influence the public and share a responsibility to provide non-bias
material. We will always hold bias of some description, but it is up to the individuals
to set fairness as a goal (Kandola, 2013).
4.2 Cultural border crossings
Direct assistance may be required for individuals that lack cultural awareness and
understanding (Aikenhead, 1996). Within an academic setting, teachers play a pivotal
role in the success of cultural border crossings. Providing scenarios for students to
analyse and encourage cultural awareness will assist in the creation of successful
cultural border crossings.
4.3 Relations of power
Education provided, with the focus of language and how to use language will assist in
the prevention of coercive relations of power in the academic space (Cummins,
2009). Whilst in the public space, media can model culturally safe language and
further build on the knowledge around being culturally aware (Cummins, 2009).
4.4 Privilege
Simply by acknowledging the privilege of the dominant or majority will assist in
equitable interactions (McIntosh, 1988). Making white privilege a public issue will
assist in breaking down the pedestal that white culture sits upon.
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
7
Helena Wright, s333247
5. Summary and Conclusion
In the film analysed, the academic and public space can become hostile when individuals
or groups are incorrectly educated about coronavirus. This is the result of the individuals
lacking the ability to make generative interactions between subcultures and create a safe
space (Aikenhead, 1996; Harless, 2018). When elements such as managing bias,
understanding the crossing of cultural borders and creating collaborative and generative
interactions exist, a culturally safe space is created. When a culturally safe space is
evident students and members of the public can live without fear and can embrace their
ontologies (Martin & Mirraboopa, 2003)
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
8
Helena Wright, s333247
References
Aikenhead, G.S. (1996), Science education: Border crossing into the subculture of science.
Studies in Science Education, 27, 1-52.
https://education.usask.ca/documents/profiles/aikenhead/sse_border.pdf
Bali, M. (2016, December 22). Reflecting Allowed. Unpacking Terms around equity, power
and privilege. https://blog.mahabali.me/pedagogy/critical-pedagogy/unpacking-terms-
around-equity-power-and-privilege/
Bernstein, R. S., Bulger, M., Salipante, P., & Weisinger, J. Y. (2019). From diversity
to inclusion to equity: a theory of generative interactions. Journal of Business Ethics,
1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04180-1
Bin-Sallik, M. (2003). Cultural safety: Let’s name it. The Australian Journal of Indigenous
Education, 32, 21-28.
Cummins, J. (2009). Pedagogies of choice: Challenging coercive relations of power in
classrooms and communities. International Journal of Bilingual Education and
Bilingualism, 12(3), 261-271. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050903003751
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
9
Helena Wright, s333247
Devakumar, D., Shannon, G., Bhopal, S. S., & Abubakar, I. (2020). Racism and
discrimination in COVID-19 responses. The Lancet, 395(10231), 1194–1194.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30792-3
End coronavirus stigma now. (2020). The International Journal of Science, 580(7802), 165.
Harless, J. (2018). Safe space in the college classroom: contact, dignity, and a kind of
publicness. Ethics and Education, 13(3), 329-345.
http://doi.org/10.1080/17449642.2018.1490116
Kandola, B. (2013). Facing history and ourselves. A Day of Learning, [video].
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/video/day-learning-2013-binna-
kandola-diffusing-bias
Martin, K., & Mirraboopa, B. (2003). Ways of knowing, being and doing: A theoretical
framework and methods for indigenous and indigenist re‐search. Journal of
Australian Studies, 27(76), 203-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/14443050309387838
McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack.
https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf
CUC107 Applying Cultural Capabilities Report
10
Helena Wright, s333247
Nursing Council of New Zealand. (July, 2011). Guidelines for cultural safety, the treaty of
Waitangi, and Maori health in nursing and midwifery education and practice.
http://pro.healthmentoronline.com/assets/Uploads/refract/pdf/Nursing_Council_cultur
al-safety11.pdf
Oung, K. (2020, March 20). Coronavirus racism infected my high school [Video]. New York
Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/learning/film-club-coronavirus-racism-
infected-my-high-school.html
