People are sometimes just so strange and hypocritical.
I guess it is difficult to not label, stereotype or judge people. Some people actually label, stereotype and judge people who are OVERLY TRYING not to do exactly that. They think that they are saying the right things when saying things like:-
"It doesn't matter what colour you are."
"Everybody looks the same to me. I am colourblind."
"White people tend to have more fun. They are chilled."
They don't even realise it. They are hypocrites and don't even know it. These are three things that have been said to me this week.
Have you ever filled or read an application form of some sort where at the end there is always a bit to fill in that asks you what age you are, what sex, what ethnicity etc. It always says that you don't have to fill it in and that it is optional but something like it helps them monitor something? I don't know. But anyway the point is, if you don't have to fill it in, why do they ask? It shouldn't matter what age, sex, ethnicity you are as long as you are right for the job! Surely? Some forms will actually say that they "encourage equality and diversity" and will then hire a mix of females/males/black/white etc etc etc.
But that isn't right surely? The best person for the job should always be the person who gets it.
Take young children. Small toddlers. They would play with whoever was put in front of them. Any child. In other words, they aren't racist. It's only as they get older that they learn about racism, sexism etc. But they only learn because society is that fucked up. They make it an issue. "Oh don't play with him as he is"such a such" and "don't play with her as she is from" wherever.
I am currently doing a teacher training course and for one whole lesson (we have four hour lessons) we had to "discuss the importance of addressing ethnicity, equality and diversity".
What the hell?
The fact that we had to waste so much time doing this was annoying but what was worse was that people didn't seem to realise that talking about equality and diversity is COMPLETELY the opposite of what we should be doing if race ethnicity creed etc didn't and shouldn't matter! If it didn't and shouldn't matter as they were saying, then we wouldn't be having the discussion.
Trying to be moral and talking about it not mattering is the only reason why it is made to matter!
In that particular lesson, we had to discuss in small groups about this subject before we would talk about it as a whole class and I didn't say anything for ages until the tutor asked my opinion as I hadn't spoken. I then told her I thought that it was unbelievable that we were even having this lesson and that equality and diversity shouldn't be a thing. It should all be about each person. Each person and assessing what it is to make them able to be the best student and bringing out their potential. Talking about it is the one thing we shouldn't be doing as it is so hypocritical. A couple of people then agreed with me and understood what I was saying. Just a couple. But it is better than nobody at all. And today we got told that there might be some moderators coming in soon who will pick a couple of people at "random" to be asked how the course is going. Apparently, these moderators pick people with "unusual names" or in other words names which won't be English.
Again, how messed up is this?
Of course I like expressing my opinion and would like to be asked how it is going, but just because my name is different doesn't mean my opinion should be more valued than anybody else! (I can't believe that I am actually complaining about having my opinion listened to.)
I understand completely about differentiation and about individual learning needs for people and I may be coming across as hypocritical myself as now I am the one who is talking/writing about equality and diversity but I am trying to get across that every person should be treated as an individual and not categorised or labelled.
Just to clarify, the more people try to address "equality and diversity", the longer it will take to actually treat and be treated as equals.
