Chapter 2
Stock Stories
Public and ubiquitous in mainstream culture
Presume universality
Told by the dominant group and passed on through historical and literary documents, celebrated by institutions
Tell what a society considers important and meaningful
Chapter 2: Overview
Main Objectives :
Students will understand the concept of stock stories and its role in race and racism
Students will learn and understand the history of racial preferences and discrimination against people of color in the U.S.
They will understand concept of a color blind meritocracy and the connection to white privilege
They will examine the role of status in society and the ways that race may affect status
Guiding Questions:
What are the stock stories about race and racism that operate in U.S. society?
How do we learn these stories?
Where are the racial imbalances of power in the stock stories?
Who benefits from the stock stories? Who pays?
How do these stories function to maintain the racial status quo and prevent change?
Chapter 2: Lesson 1
Race and Rights in U.S. History
Learning Outcomes:
Students learn about the history of racial preferences for Whites and discrimination against people of color in the U.S.
Students analyze how the legacies of discriminatory laws play out today
Lesson Outline:
In small groups, students research the history of rights for different races
Students create timelines or otherwise present a history of the group’s rights over time
Groups share their findings with each other
Entire group discusses how this history impacts the present day situation of different races (stereotypes, power, challenges)
Chapter 2: Lesson 2
Meritocracy and Color Blindness
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to learn about their own and each other’s experiences in regards to race and racism
Through movement and placement within a continuum students will be able to visualize the degree of impact that race has in their own and other people’s lives
Lesson Outline:
Define “meritocracy” and “color blindness”
Discuss how to look at data and statistics to determine equal accessibility by race
In small groups, students research different sectors and opportunity domains, looking for accessibility by race and creating a presentation of their findings
Groups share their findings
Whole group discusses patterns and stories in the findings
Chapter 2: Lesson 3
Privilege
Learning Outcomes:
Students learn about white privilege or advantage and its historical roots
Students look at how discriminatory policies that advantage whites challenge the American ideals of meritocracy and colorblindness
Lesson Outline:
Define “privilege”
Watch multimedia on the subject of how white people in the U.S. accumulated advantage over time through policies and practices
Discussion of information and present day social constructs that show how whiteness has been maintained and elevated
Small group discussion of common arguments that arise regarding race and racism
Chapter 2: Lesson 4
Stories We Walk Into
Learning Outcomes:
Students learn about white privilege or advantage and its historical roots
Students look at how discriminatory policies that advantage whites challenge the American ideals of meritocracy and colorblindness
Lesson Outline:
Discussion of what status means
Group exercise determining status in association with different occupations
Group exercise where students act out different statuses as assigned to them
Create “status charts” with list of public figures