As a director of a program and a licensed and ordained minister in
VIRGINIA who has LOCKS (not dread locks), I find that one's ability far
out ways their hair style.  Body piercings, tattoos, excessive gold and
silver may be assessed differently due to gang implications in this area
so it becomes a safety issue and not a cultural stereotype. For any NCIS
fans out there who have seen the character "Abby" who is totally
competent but her "look" is not one that has been embraced by our
society at large.  But whose to say how many Abby's are out there who
get overlooked because of our unwillingness to step outside of the box
labeled "my perspective".  I am a contradiction in terms, in more ways
than one, but I am proud of that because it demonstrates the power of
"My God", who uses the foolish to confound the wise.    
There is nothing more attractive than African American hairstyles.
Society as a whole simply needs to get over it. So please don't under
play the content of one's character by asking us/me to assimilate. I am
not interested in being a part of an homogenized culture. I love
diversity.  Maybe those companies who are stuck in the 60's are not
places people of color or others who are diverse should seek employment.
Today, it may be your hair and tomorrow they be ask that you change your
religion or cross ethical boundaries with the boss.  Where does it stop?
Assimilation is not the wave of the future.  Sorry.    

-----Original Message-----
From: diversity-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:diversity-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of David Rosen
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 2:19 PM
To: The Diversity and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Diversity 1148] Re: dress codes, boundaries, ethics,social
class and culture


Arthur,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think you are referring to how  
teachers and students dress for class and work. If so, if the students  
are all preparing for a certain kind of work, that should guide how  
teacher and students dress in work-related basic skills and job skills  
training classes. For example, it is perfectly appropriate, I think,  
for instructors in a community college welding program to dress in  
work clothes that welders wear, clothes that are quite different from  
what medical technicians wear or what people preparing for corporate  
office jobs will need to wear. This isn't a "dress code" as much as it  
is "dress for success at work" issue.

I have a friend who is a Hip Hop artist. He has dreadlocks. A few  
months ago he was having a tough time surviving as an artist. As he  
also has work experience is restaurants, I suggested he might have to  
cut the dreads if he was applying for restaurant jobs, especially in  
this tough job climate. It was painful for me to make this suggestion  
because I realize how important his art is to him, and that he hopes  
one day to earn his living through his art. On the other hand, he's a  
parent, his family needs him to earn a regular income, and he cares  
about being a good father. I mention this story to further develop the  
simplistic scenario of the first paragraph with some of the  
complexities of that are sometimes involved in decisions about  
appropriate dress. On the surface, it may be simple, just "dress for  
success." Underneath, these decisions may be extremely difficult,   
involved with personal identity, cultural or religious affiliation,  
class identity, responsibilities as a parent or other family member,  
or other important life choices.

What does this have to do with literacy? Increasingly adult literacy  
education programs are being asked to emphasize preparation for work.  
Dress standards, in the context of this goal, is one of several  
important decisions that some adult literacy education (including  
ESOL) programs need to consider.

David J. Rosen
DJRosen at theworld.com




On Oct 23, 2009, at 1:28 PM, Upham, Arthur G - DCF wrote:


> Custom is to warn about LONG posts so due warning:

>

> I have been reading with great interest this ongoing discussions

> about dress codes, boundaries, ethical codes of conduct (some of  

> which are codified in current law in many locations); and social  

> class and culture.

>

> I would like to follow up on two aspects of these.

>

> 1. Boundaries and codes of ethical behavior--which impact dress and

> sexual mores.

>

> I find that when I have boundary issues it is unfortunately not lack

> of knowledge about what boundaries are or should be in the  

> situation, but lack of acknowledging the unmet emotional needs  

> driving myself and possibly the other person involved into  

> minimizing boundary issues or ignoring them. So while I find  

> discussions of boundaries in the abstract edifying, I do not always  

> find discussion and general agreement in theory are enough to deal  

> with the actual.

>

> 2. dress code and class and literacy reading writing instruction,

> teacher/tutors and students:

>

> Now this is a much longer set of thoughts on which I am not an

> expert, but the discussion has been churning around in my head and I  

> would like to use this as a chance to see what others think as well.

>

> Who are the people we are trying to help improve their reading and

> writing skills? Why do they want to do this, what is their general  

> goal? If this is just personal improvement, fine. Teacher dress need  

> not be much of an issue at all. Whatever you and the student are  

> comfortable with, no issue.

>

> However, the refugee section I work in within Wisconsin state

> government is currently placed administratively within the larger  

> group that oversees Wisconsin's welfare program (W-2), a program  

> whose primary goal is to enable participants to move out of public  

> assistance by securing employment--hence many of them need to  

> increase their reading and writing skills in order to do this.

>

> But here is my concern. In this state, the W-2 population is very

> largely located in our one "large" city, Milwaukee, about three  

> million residents. Statistically, the greatest majority of these  

> welfare recipients is: single, mothers, one to three children,  

> youngish (18-25), some high school completion, inner city/poor  

> neighborhoods, largely African-Americans, who live in shared  

> communities with shared cultural norms, expectation and outlook.

>

> I heard a presentation this week from the chief economic forecaster

> in the Wisconsin Dept. of Workforce Development, projecting the  

> picture of the workforce needs and shape in the next 20+ years, its  

> trends. Manual/assembly jobs will continue to be off-shored as  

> costing less--fewer and fewer jobs available for those who  

> traditionally had lower reading/writing skills and could turn to  

> manual intensive jobs for a living. No need to stress the impact,  

> for example, of the collapse of the auto industry in the US. These  

> jobs are not likely to return.

>

> At the same time, the trend in jobs available will continue to be

> for at least some technical skills at the level of a 2-4 year post  

> secondary education--even now employers who hire someone without a  

> secondary education are few and far between:  most won't hire  

> without this minimum. So jobs will require a higher educational  

> achievement.

>

> So back to the questions of dress, class and reading/writing in this

> scenario: the purpose of teaching reading and writing to this set of  

> students is not just to give a sense of personal achievement and  

> increase power, but to help them achieve a stable financial income  

> through improved employment opportunities, but improved income will  

> also likely mean adjusting social status--move to a better  

> neighborhood, get a better home (a home at all). Having any chance  

> to get this kind of job with require both improved reading and  

> writing skills, but also willingness to accept and adapt the social/ 

> work culture, dress code, business culture that goes along with that  

> job which may not be the codes of the neighborhood or sub-group of  

> origin. In this case, teachers/tutors are also agents of change and  

> models and gatekeepers or ushers.

>

> So back to dress code: If I dress a lot like my hypothetical

> students, I put no barriers stressing how different I am, but I also  

> don't help usher in the set of codes/norms that they will need to  

> adjust to in the workplace.

>

> The Workforce Development forecaster also noted that in his view of

> educational and workforce data, the patterns that strike him are:

>

> 1. first three years of a child's education are critical indicators

> of future education outcomes;

> 2. the mother's educational attainment is often a good indicator of  

> the child's--the higher the mother's achievement, the more likely  

> the child will also have a similar attainment.

> 3. as mentioned, this attainment will be a major factor in  

> employment and income: poverty or above.

> 4. There will be few jobs for any who rely on minimal manufacture  

> related skills (manual intensive work) so poverty is likely for  

> these whose reading and writing and computational skills are low and  

> who do not accept or choose to conform to the culture of work for  

> the level of employment.

>

> The refugees we work generally come to the US with a very strong

> drive to do what it will take to learn what they have to in order to  

> support themselves and their families; the long term welfare  

> recipients are too often generally depressed, discouraged,  

> emotionally stressed out, have had generally a poor experience in  

> school, have few role models for success, have struggled with  

> relationships, are burdened with few job possibilities--one of the  

> greatest challenges their literacy/reading/writing teachers/tutors  

> is to inspire them with hope that things can be better, that they  

> can achieve and find real rewards for doing this. The dress one  

> chooses may also play a part.

>

> Arthur Upham, PH. D.

> Refugee Specialist

> DCF/DFES/BWF

> Refugee Assistance Services Programs Section

> 201 E. Washington Ave.

> Madison, Wisconsin 53708

> 608-266-6807

> arthur.upham at wisconsin.gov

>

>

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