Connecting Worlds:  Inside Black America

By Dr. Leona Johnson, Ph.D.

November 2010

Leona Johnson, Ph.D.

“There can be no high civility without a deep morality.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bullying is defined as aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. It is a repeated behavior that can be physical, verbal, or relational. Bullying has been a part of school, even the workplace for years. More recently, however, technology and social media have created a new mechanism for bullying to be expanded. Cyber bullying is bullying that happens online or via cell phones (APA Help Center on Bullying, 2010).  

Bullying knows no age, ethnicity, gender, or social class. One only needs to stand out as being “different.” Often people dismiss bullying among children as a normal part of growing up. It can leave children, teenagers, and young adults tense and afraid and even lead some to feel that they need to take drastic measures such as suicide. For some, the effects of bullying lasts a lifetime (Medline).

Bullying also knows no sexual preference. For example, 9 out of 10 gay teenagers experienced bullying and harassment at school, according to an annual survey by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. Lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender students are three to four times more likely to commit suicide than straight students, according to a report by the National Education Policy Center (The Virginian-Pilot and the LA Times, October 18, 2010).    

Bullying can render its victims powerless. Whether students are involved as bullies, victims, bully-victims (someone who is bullied and who also bullies others) or bystanders, depression and anxiety can be co-occurring problems (Swearer, APA).  Persons who are bullied face an urgent need to protect themselves. Bullying must be taken seriously. Our society must discuss how the bully persona emerges in individuals – young people who can do tremendous damage without even seeing themselves as bullies (Spaulding, CNN, 2010).   

The good news is that people and organizations across the nation are rallying in support against bullying, whether verbally, on-line (websites and videos), confidential suicide hot-lines, and one-on-ones. People and organizations are emphasizing that help is available – “that it really does get better.” What then can students, parents, teachers, and administrators do? The APA Help Center encourages teachers and administrators to be knowledgeable and observant and to take bullying seriously; to involve students and parents in the solution; and to set positive expectations about behavior for students and adults.

Children also need to be taught how to handle being bullied. Ideally we must stop bullying before it begins. Children must be educated about bullying. Students can also report bullying to a parent or adult. Finally, students need to know that there is help for them (APA Help Center, 2010). In the meantime, we must all do our part by doing whatever we can to ensure that our children and young adults are resilient and successful in society.

American Psychological Association (APA). How Parents, Teachers, and Kids can take action to prevent bullying. Retrieved October 10, 2010 from

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2010/04/bullying.aspx

Medline Plus. Bullying. Retrieved October 13, 2010 from

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bullying.html

Swearer, S. (April 2, 2010). Bullying: What parents, teachers, can do to stop it.  American Psychological Association News Press Release.  

The Virginian-Pilot and the Los Angeles Times.  (October 18, 2010). It gets better. Really it does.  The Monday Break Section, pp. 1. 

About Leona Johnson, Ph.D.: Leona M. Johnson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hampton University.  Dr. Johnson received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Howard University, with a subspecialty in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Since fall 2004, Dr. Johnson has been an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hampton University, where she teaches Methods of Behavioral Research, Senior Seminar in Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Black Psychology, Black Child Development, and Learning and Cognition. Previously Dr. Johnson worked in various positions in Corporate America at the IBM Corporation, L’Oreal Corporation, and Lockheed Martin Corporation. In addition to teaching, Dr. Johnson is actively involved in research on learning preferences and the classroom climate, culture and learning, teaching and learning styles, group dynamics, and issues pertaining to the Black family.   

Contact Information:

Email:  Leona@CWRMagOnline.com

Blog:   CWRAfricanAmerica.WordPress.com 

Connecting Worlds:  Inside Black America

By Dr. Leoa Johnson, Ph.D.

October 2010

Leona Johnson, Ph.D.

 ”There can be no keener reflection of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” — Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa 

The number of people in poverty hit a record high in 2009. The national poverty rate of 14.3 percent, up from 13.2 percent in 2008, was the highest since 1994. The rise in poverty was steepest for children, with 1 in 5 children affected. The Census Bureau also found that the median income – the amount at which half of U. S. households earn more or less – had fallen 4.2 percent by 2009 since the recession began in 2007 (The Virginian-Pilot Newspaper, 9/17/10).   

While we recognize that the recession and poverty takes a toll on society overall, it appears to have the most impact on children. Perhaps the most alarming, is that even though the economy is likely to recover in the next few years, a generation of disadvantaged children may not. Today’s poorer children could be impacted by the devastating effects of the recession for years to come, as they face other challenges such as engaging in violent crime and illegal drug use, and of experiencing chronic health problems such as obesity (Novotney, 2010).  

Growing up poor is not just hard on children; it may also be bad for their cognitive development as well. A long-term study of cognitive development in lower and middle class students found strong links between childhood poverty, physiological stress, and adult memory (Keim, 2009). Children in poverty do not end up behind, research confirms that they start behind. A study released in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics showed that children who face more hardship were less likely to have normal developmental progress. As poverty rises among families with young children, more and more children are at risk. Once these children enter school, these deprivations may already be hard wired in their brain (Cottrell, 2010).        

The good news is that psychologists and others are endeavoring to address the issues of children who are in poverty. Young children tend to be very flexible. Psychologists confirm that a brain that is vulnerable to the adverse effects of poverty is equally susceptible to the positive effects of rich, balanced learning environments and caring relationships. Evidence based interventions developed by psychologists can help poor children achieve cognitive and academic success (Novotney, 2010).

We also know that the remedies are in reach if our society chooses to prescribe them (Cottrell, 2010). President Barack Obama said the grim news made it clear that much work remains to bring the nation back from the recession, but, he added that the groundwork to do so has been laid (Virginian-Pilot Newspaper, 9/17/10). In the meantime, we must all do our part by doing whatever we can to unleash the potential in our children.           

Cottrell, M. (April 13, 2010). Poverty gets hard wired into a Baby’s Brain. Retrieved September 18, 2010 from

http://uspoverty.change.org/blog/view 

Keim, B. (March 30, 2009). Poverty goes straight to the brain. Retrieved September 18, 2010  from

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/poordevelopment/ 

Novotney, A. (2010). The recession’s toll on children. The Monitor (Published by the American Psychological Association), 41(8).

Staff and Wire Reports. (September 17, 2010). Number of people in poverty hit record high in 2009. The Virginian-Pilot Newspaper, pp. 1 and 6.           

About Leona Johnson, Ph.D.: Leona M. Johnson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hampton University.  Dr. Johnson received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Howard University, with a subspecialty in Industrial/Organi- zational Psychology. Since fall 2004, Dr. Johnson has been an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hampton University, where she teaches Methods of Behavioral Research, Senior Seminar in Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Black Psychology, Black Child Development, and Learning and Cognition. Previously Dr. Johnson worked in various positions in Corporate America at the IBM Corporation, L’Oreal Corporation, and Lockheed Martin Corporation. In addition to teaching, Dr. Johnson is actively involved in research on learning preferences and the classroom climate, culture and learning, teaching and learning styles, group dynamics, and issues pertaining to the Black family.

Contact Information:

Email:  Leona@CWRMagOnline.com

Blog:   CWRAfricanAmerica.WordPress.com

Connecting Worlds:  Inside Black America

By Dr. Leona Johnson, Ph.D.

September 2010

“We usually see only the things we are looking for – so much that we sometimes see them where they are not.”  – Eric Hoffer

Leona Johnson, Ph.D.

Besides helping to define who we are, communication provides a vital link to others whether it is to satisfy our physical needs, identity needs, or social needs. Communication is the most widely used approach to satisfying instrumental goals, .i.e., getting others to behave in ways that we want them to.

      In July 2010, an African American USDA employee, Shirley Sherrod resigned from her job after her remarks sparked a fabricated racial controversy. Ms. Sherrod said that her statements were “taken out of context.” According to her remarks, she mistreated a white farmer in need of assistance because of his race (NY Daily News, 7/20/10). This scenario would be followed by Ms. Sherrod losing her job at the USDA. As the Sherrod story unfolded, top officials and television commentators spent most of the next week apologizing to Sherrod. She would later be offered a new job at the USDA (Associated Press, 8/4/10). As the news was reported on this situation, the term “out-of-context” would continue to surface to explain her scenario.

       Perhaps each of us may experience a different reality, and failing to understand the other’s person’s views may lead to misconceptions, especially when information is taken out of context – whether intentionally or unintentionally. Interpretation plays a major role in the communication process. Many factors may shape the way we interpret the world. Research confirms that we tend to be influenced by the less desirable characteristics of others, we tend to select stimuli from the environment that are otherwise attention grabbing, and we tend to cling to first impressions (Adler & Proctor, 2007). Problems can arise when we treat interpretations as if they were fact without further investigation.

      Our emotions can also play an important part in how we interpret a situation. Emotions can be defined in many cases by our cognitive interpretations. Many times we may need to step back and monitor our emotional reaction to a situation. Also contagion can lead us to experience emotions that we might not otherwise have had. Given this – context is very crucial in the communication process.

      If the employer and employee share the same interpretation of a situation, communication can go very smoothly, however, if they bring different perspectives to interpreting a situation, a problem may exist (Adler & Proctor, 2007). Seeking more information on a scenario before formulating a final interpretation or impression can be a good self-monitoring tool. Perhaps this might be as simple as reviewing the source of the interpretation in a more detailed way to get a better feel for the “context” of the scenario; this might allow one to take a second look at one’s  interpretation especially in complex situations.

While forces which impact our interpretations based on context may be beyond our control or our immediate personal experiences at first, an awareness of how important context can be in making decisions can go a long way in bridging the gap between interpretation and fact. Lessons learned in this regard can be a catalyst to a wake up call relative to interpretation and context.

Associated Press (2010). (August 8, 2010). 

Adler, R. B. & Proctor, R. F. (2007). Looking Out: Looking In, 12th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 

NY Daily News (2010). (July 2, 2010). 

About Leona Johnson, Ph.D.:  Leona M. Johnson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hampton University.  Dr. Johnson received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Howard University, with a subspecialty in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Since fall 2004, Dr. Johnson has been an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hampton University, where she teaches Methods of Behavioral Research, Senior Seminar in Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Black Psychology, Black Child Development, and Learning and Cognition. Previously Dr. Johnson worked in various positions in Corporate America at the IBM Corporation, L’Oreal Corporation, and Lockheed Martin Corporation. In addition to teaching, Dr. Johnson is actively involved in research on learning preferences and the classroom climate, culture and learning, teaching and learning styles, group dynamics, and issues pertaining to the Black family. 

Contact Information:

Email:  Leona@CWRMagOnline.com

Blog:   CWRAfricanAmerica.WordPress.com

Leona Johnson, Ph.D.

Current research suggests that culture strongly influences students’ learning patterns, communication styles, perceptions, and behavior. Cultural forces in the learning experience can potentially affect the teacher-learner connection in the classroom. These key areas of differences provide a lense through which teachers in culturally diverse classrooms can consciously examine the behaviors of students and themselves. Some of the aspects of culture that can create disconnects between the teacher and learner and society are discussed below. Embedded in this discussion are descriptions of how specific cultures view the world and interact with people. 

     Cultures tend to vary along a number of dimensions. The following are among those in which different views and behaviors can lead to misunderstanding and tension: 1) Individualism vs. Collectivism, 2) Action vs. Being, 3) Communication Styles, and 4) Power Imbalances (Ziegahn 2001, online as cited in Johnson & Protheroe, 2003). 

Individualism vs. Collectivism. Individualistic cultures generally value the self-reliance, equality, and autonomy of the individual, whereas collectivist cultures tend to value group effort and harmony. For example, mainstream U.S. cultures are often fragmented over the balance between rewarding individual effort and competition versus recognizing and fostering teamwork and cooperation. 

Action vs. Being. U. S. culture generally tends to value action, efficiency, getting to the “bottom line,” potentially downplaying social interactions at the interest of achieving goals. Taking the time to discuss complex issues and to appreciate the moment may be more important to persons coming from a more holistic cultural orientation. 

Communication Styles. How we communicate is as often as important as what we communicate. Depending partially on cultural variables such as ethnicity, gender, and race, individuals may have a reference for sending direct or indirect, attached or detached, procedural or personal messages or possibly be more confrontational in communicating. 

Power Imbalances. In addition to the different values and communication styles that contribute to cultural diversity, cultures are sometimes stratified by inequities in terms of access to political and economic power. Thus a culture’s advantage or disadvantage depends on its position vis-à-vis other cultural groups.        

Seldom do we recognize the fact that our sense of self is shaped in very subtle ways by the culture in which we are raised (Adler & Proctor, 2007). From a pragmatist perspective, teachers may not be able to anticipate cultural conflicts or have knowledge of every cultural subtlety in a changing school environment. Given this – it is important that we be familiar with potential disconnects that can occur in the teacher-learner connection and society. 

While the cultural forces that impact learning may be beyond our control or immediate personal experiences, awareness of these dimensions can go a long way in bridging the gap between cultures in the classroom and society. 

Adler, R. B. & Proctor, R. F. (2007). Looking Out: Looking In, 12th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 

Johnson, L. M. (2003). What we know: About culture and learning. Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service (ERS), pp.16-17.