Reagan's Portfolio

Living my life the only way I’ve known how, I have reflected on a few advantages and disadvantages that have affected my life. I have felt privileged as well as marginalised by society at times throughout my life even if I did not know at the time. Looking back at times of my life I did not realise at the time that I could consider myself in a dominant position and an oppressed position. I think that being a white male of heterosexual nature, people can assume that I have reaped all the benefits of privilege, but I would say that’s not the case or my identity. I have still experienced ostracization, oppression, and marginalisation, though maybe not in extreme cases.

I will start with a privilege I feel I have had and been given an “upper hand” with. That being white or white passing. I am from Scandinavian and English/Irish descent so I am very much caucasian looking and trait forward. That I believe has advantaged me in life for not experiencing racism or prejudice towards me. I think that having never experienced this, I would not know how it would feel to be persecuted by the color of my skin. On the other hand, I believe that being “white” my “people” have been the oppressors to lots of minorities and cultures. So with that in mind, it’s my job as a white person to understand that hardships have been had by the hands of people like me. I must understand and learn from this history to not repeat the mistakes already made by this. To use this in my teaching, I need to be tolerant of my students’ cultures and races, and to learn from them and if they require specific needs or wants based on their identities. As said by Solomon, R. P., Portelli, J. P., Daniel, B., & Campbell, A. (2005). The discourse of denial: how white teacher candidates construct race, racism and ‘white privilege.’ Race Ethnicity and Education, 8(2), 147–169. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613320500110519 “Some of these privileges that whites have include:

1.	Positive representation in school curriculum materials, media, contribution to civilization, positions of authority.
2.	Representation and availability of ‘white’ related goods and services.
3.	Freedom of association, residential choice, and the granting of insider status in organizations.
4.	Unquestioned acceptance of financial reliability and employment credibility.
5	Freedom from the burden of representing the ‘white race’.”

I believe I have experienced these without conscious thought to them. It is a real eye opening statement to read, and puts into perspective something I have never given a thought to.

            A marginalisation I have felt I’ve experienced is being a trades worker. Though it may not be prevalent or something that can be quantitatively measured, there is a stigma around being a trades worker in today’s day and age. Society has created this thinking that if you do not get a degree or go to university, you are just not smart enough or will not be wealthy by gaining a good job. I have experienced this when meeting new people and they ask me what my profession is. It’s frustrating seeing how others’ demeanors change when they know I work in trades. I have been asked many times why I did not pursue higher education or get a degree in something. It puts me in a box without getting my whole story or background. I am labelled as “dumb” or “just a construction grunt”, but that is not the case. It takes lots of hard work and dedication to achieve a Red Seal in a trade and I think that there is just not enough promotion or information available to the masses about this. My trades experience has taught me life long skills and honed my math and creative skills immensely. I have met some of the smartest people I know in trades work. It also has given me enough wealth to live a comfortable life and make a living. I like how this article states: . The ever sought-after college-acceptance letter isn’t a guarantee of a stable future if students aren’t given the support they need to complete a degree. If students are exposed to the possibility of vocational training early on, that might help remove some of the stigma, and help students and parents alike see a variety of paths to a successful future.

MEGST-ESPRIT. (2019). The stigma of choosing trade school over college. https://ncla-cte.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/TheStigma.pdf

This completely encapsulates my thinking behind the stigma of trades workers over higher education pursuits. I would like to teach my students that trades are an excellent choice of career and you can do very well for yourself in them. That you are not less than those who go on to higher education, and that everything around you was built by trades workers. Where would the world be without trades workers? We are an essential part of society and should not be labelled or looked down on and that’s what I want my students to take away.

            And lastly, I feel that I have been privileged to be male. I guess I’ve never thought about what it means to be male in society today. To be male is seen as an advantage as being compared to females. There are many hardships, atrocities, and persecution against females all around the world. I have never had to experience these in my life in Canada, but I can listen and learn from women who have first hand experience. I believe it is my duty to listen and learn about the difference in life between male and female. I need to understand that things can be different and work towards an equality together. As a teacher, I would preach that we are all equal and that women can do the same things as men(especially in my classroom). There are many girls in trades and many males who are nurses. The old thinking of “pink and blue jobs” is a thing of the past. You as an individual can decide what you want to do with your life, no matter the gender.