Susan’s teachers are mostly middle class white women who have been teaching for a couple of years and lack adequate experience, interest, and knowledge to relate to their students and convey the course material. Many of Suzette’s teachers are indifferent and perceive Suzette and her peers as disengaged. The teachers chalk student disengagement up to disinterest, apathetic parents, and students who simply do not care. The teachers do not question what is pushing students out of the classroom or the reasons why they are disengaged. If anything, the teachers attribute student grades and performance to unmotivated students, parental attitudes and beliefs that school is not important, and lack of parental education. 

 

Furthermore, Susan’s first language is Spanish and the school does not offer any dual language immersion programming or value her language in any meaningful way-- instead, the teachers and administration perceive Susan’s Spanish language as a hindrance and all of the classes are taught in English. 

Despite working diligently to improve her academic performance and having strong, valuable, and meaningful connections to her family, community, and culture, Susan continues to struggle and feels demoralized because of her interactions with her teachers and their perceptions of her. At this point, she is contemplating leaving school. She knows what her teachers think about her and her family, and she knows that they do not see or understand her or her family for who she is. 

 

Analyze the above scenario using one of the theories you read about. In other words, explain WHY the above situation is happening the way it's happening. For example, if you choose DuBois you'd be using  double consciousness as a theoretical framework to analyze Susan's educational experiences. In other words, apply the theory to better understand and explore what is happening in the above vignette. 

 

Suzette’s story relates to DuBois social theory which focuses on the color line, double consciousness and the vail system which separated African American in every section of society. According to DuBois U.S.A is a democratic country but color line in between people undermine democracy. He states that “After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world, —a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity.” By that he tries to explain his thoughts of being racially segregated in American society. He is saying that African-American are seen differently by Americans and Americans also want them to grow a Double-consciousness about themselves. Americans want Africans to evaluate themselves or to grow self-consciousness through the eyes of Americans, which means they are not seen and treated as American are. Suzette’s story tells us that people are still segregated in the American society based on their race, color, and ethnicity. Her knowledge was not evaluated properly because of her race and culture. She was not helped to succeed in education, rather teachers wrong perception lowered her self esteem and made her fall behind. 

 

Also, Susan's middle-class white teachers are alienated since they blame students for something that is an institutionalized problem.

DuBois’s theory on double consciousness connects with this example since it is describing the sense of viewing an individual’s self through others. DuBois also connected his theory towards the oppression that the African American community has faced and how they view themselves. Suzette’s experience has been challenging to her since she was not given proper guidance from her school due to their lack of quality and uninterested teachers who made her feel drained, as well her experience connects to what African Americans faced. She wanted to receive a proper education to continue forward with her life, to make herself and her loved ones proud.