Readings on Service

“Here I mean only to point out that service might be good for me (doing the serving), it might be good for them (being served), it might be good for us (as a society), or, weirdly enough, it might be good for God (though this would seem to be presumptuous to the point of impiety).” (Davis 3)

I like the idea that service is good. Giving it a definite reason, like the article does in the beginning makes it seem like the reason is only for yourself rather than everyone involved. It also reminded me of what Willy came to talk about in class in that no person is altruistic, and that takes away some of the guilt of knowing helping people also makes me feel good.  

“Each of these quotations takes seriously the idea that schools are essential for democracy. Yet Bennett, Freire, Shanker, and Bush each provide their own sense of what democracy requires and how schools can help us strengthen their respective—and often competing—visions of a democratic society” (Westheimer 1)

            Reading this part of the article, I was shaking my head at some of the teaching methods these politicians were using to illustrate democracy to students. People, even politicians who say they have the people’s best interest in mind, still come up with ways to impose information on groups of students without actually considering the ways in which the community will take in the information. This is a reminder that it is so easy to think you have someone’s best interest in mind, when really you are just imposing your own beliefs.

“An acknowledgment of structural inequality is an acknowledgement that the resource imbalances faced by some communities are not the result of individual shortcomings but of a system of exclusion.” (Mitchell)

            This is why I hate Ronald Regan, and just a good reminder. It is all about the structure!! People do not choose to be poor and they do not choose to not look for food. The way our country, and other countries are set up, prevent people from getting the resources they need.

“A focus on identity allows us to acknowledge the sources of our own knowledge, fears, and realms of ignorance.” (Mitchell)

            Focus on other people’s identity to understand our own awareness of ourselves in the world?