Hope for the future

My biggest hope is that I can have a positive influence on children and families, and, therefore, on society. I think that spreading tolerance is the key to the future of humankind.

I have gained a real understanding of the importance of respecting and celebrating human difference, and of helping children to see their own worth as well as the worth of others. I have gotten so much out of reading the blogs and discussion posts of my classmates. I so appreciate the passion for anti-bias education that has been shared with me. Good luch to everyone.

Challenges of Young Serbian Children

My husband is Serbian, so it seemed natural for me, when looking at challenges of different groups of children around the world, to look at a group that is close to my heart. Serbia was once a part of communist Yugoslavia. In the 90's the region had a bloody civil war which, following carpet bombing by the Clinton administration, resulted in the break up of Yugoslavia into several smaller countries -one being Serbia.

Children of Serbia have faced many challenges since the war. Thousands of children were left physically and emotionally scarred. Even more were left orphaned. The level of poverty within this war torn country was unimaginable. The majority of Serbian children grew up in overcrowded orphanages with little food or resources. Even those who had families had very little sustenance in their lives. While the country tried to rebuild itself and adjust to a new form of government, many families and children suffered.

Things are looking up for the children of Serbia today, but their is still a long way to go. Under the communist system, every citizen was given a job and education was provided based on proficiency. Employment was determined at a young age, and education was provided as training for future employment. The system had to shift because now people must be competetive to survive. The idea of all inclusive education in Serbia is new, and many people with children who are disabled or marginalized are not aware of their children's right to an education or of how to obtain resources for their children. Currently UNICEF is working to change that, and to ensure that all of the children of Serbia receive an education.

Sexualization too soon

It is true that media has created far more opportunities for young children to be exposed to ideas about sex and sexuality at a far younger age than they have been in the past. This made me think about the children who are in my life, and about indications of this sexuality. I had a girl in my three year old room last year, for instance, who announced to the class that she was pregnant and that one of the boys in the class was the "baby daddy.". I have a girl this year who dances in a manner that even a stripper might find embarrassing.

These experiences combined with examples in the article made me think a lot about the exposure young children have to sex as well as the ease of access to sexual materials. It can even happen by accident. A person may be searching for something innocent on the Internet, and find sexual content instead. For example, I recently did a search for pictures of tacos for a class display, and many pornographic photos popped up on the screen. These things happen to children as well.

I think we are living in a time when adults must be open to discussing these issues even with young children when necessary. I am not a proponent of exposing young children to sexuality, but it is also important to not ignore the exposure that children are receiving and to be ready to answer questions in age appropriate ways. It is important to explain things to children so that they are clear about what they are seeing in the media, and are clear about what they should and should not act out at their age.

Experiencing Bias

I do know how it feels to be in an unfamiliar culture with people speaking an unfamiliar language. My husband is originally from Serbia. For this reason, we go to Serbian church, Serbian stores and Serbian restaurants. I, however, do not speak Serbian, and still, after many years, feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the Serbian culture. whenever I am with Serbian people, I feel very awkward and shy. I also feel very stupid and childish because I have a difficult time following conversations and understanding what is happening around me. I have my husband to translate and explain for me, and people are always kind and understanding, but the translation and smiles from people often leave me feeling more incompetent, and wishing nobody were paying attention to me. These situations do not last long for me, and I am able to leave these specific places and immediately return to the world I am accustomed to, but this has made me more sensitive to immigrant families who only have their homes and possibly a small community in which to feel comfortable, confident, and able to be themselves.

So, I already know what it is to feel awkward in different cultural situations. The assignment, though is to consider how it would be to be on the tail end of bias situations. I imagine that it would be so hurtful and damaging to my self esteem if I not only were left feeling uncomfortable but were treated with bias as well. Bias is hateful treatment of a person due to differences from self. If I were to go to a pace where I not only felt uncomfortable and awkward but was treated in negative ways due to others perceptions of me, it would be extremely difficult to even attempt to risk communicating or even drawing attention to myself due to fear of poor treatment. I would not want to return to that place, and if I had to return, I would keep myself to myself. I cannot imagine I would be able to do a good job or be at all productive within this type of environment.