This post topic probably seems a bit on the late side since Banned Books week was back in September this year, but a recent issue has arisen that has my blood boiling.
In case you were unaware, a school board in Florida has decided to place a ban on books that include "profanity, cursing, or inappropriate subject matter." You can read about it in more detail here. This directive is ridiculous and appalling. What is "inappropriate" subject matters? Who gets to decide what is "inappropriate"? What if I find certain topics inappropriate that others don't? The frightening part of this directive is that it will undoubtedly be used to silence the voices of marginalized groups. There have been plenty of studies that examine the connection between empathy and fiction readers. They've even done studies focusing specifically on Harry Potter! If you don't have access to library databases, you can do a quick google scholar search and come across a multitude of results. It might seem an odd notion to some, but students need access to materials that contain profanity, cursing, and inappropriate subject matter. They need to see that some things are just human nature. It also helps students be able to frame and contextualize situations that may seem foreign to them. By not allowing students to access stories and information, we're stunting their growth. One could even make the leap and say we are stunting the growth of our society. We should be encouraging younger generations to be better than us - to be more open, more accepting, more inclusive. Reading is about broadening your horizons, opening yourself up to new experiences in a safe environment. It's about reflection; it's about examining what makes you uncomfortable and why. It's about learning.
0 Comments
|
AuthorI have worked in Education my entire life moving from K-12, to a community college, to my current position at a four year. I am fascinated by weird things and information in general. Archives
November 2017
Categories
All
|