> On Behalf Of Jon Louis Mann
> Subject: Racial and Gender bigotry > Welcome to the list and to America, Maree! I have travelled > extensively in AUS and New Zed and would be curious to hear how > different racial and gender bias is in America, compared to down under, > and how it is dealt with in your educational system, and in families? > > American television is being exported all over the world, but not Fox > News Network, yet... (although Rupert Murdouch is now an American > citizen, I believe.~) We do have many television programs that do > promote tolerance and sensitivity, many of which are spinoffs from > European programs. > > If you pass by Santa Monica, CA in your travels please contact me. > Jon Mann > (310) 664-3712 > Hi Jon and thank you for your kind words. Australians are as xenophobic as Americans in a generalist sense. It was only with the recent change in government that an apology for the treatment of our Aboriginal people was being formulated. The apology may have been made by now, but if that is the case I missed out on hearing about it over here. Although education is an essential part of the solution to the problem, there needs to be a broader response for this to work. This should IMHO include carefully monitored affirmative action programs. Positive role models in various positions in media also help mitigate bias. Community education projects can also help. Churches, and other institutions for social control and organisation, can have a great effect. We could also use are more activists like Mahatma Ghandi or Martin Luther King. I am sure there are many other approaches that will work as well. My comment about broadening the solution came from my experience as a secondary school teacher. Over the years, whenever there is a societal problem the call goes out "Get the schools to deal with it." Schools are instruments of social control and can be quite effective in that role. However, the more social programs foisted on schools the less time they have to devote to teaching thinking, researching, arguing, reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, geography and all the other important subjects that an educated person needs to know to effectively function in our society. It is a difficult job getting the balance correct and one that schools at home do amazingly well. I know so little about the system here in the US that I would not like to comment on how well things work here. Of course between you and me we can solve all the world's problems ;-). Regards, Maree Ludenia PS We are currently in Redding CA and moving south - Yosemite calls before it gets too cold. We may end up in the Santa Monica area and if we do I would love to catch up with you. ML _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
