Connections to Marxist Theory
Liberation of West Town
1.Introduction
The West Town community is a unique neighborhood comprised of a diversity of races, economic incomes, and social backgrounds that reflect the greater diversity of Chicago. The complexity of the problems of West Town’s neighborhoods are often overlooked by traditional historical analysis, which fails to consider the experience of the oppressed who are themselves a fundamental part of the neighborhood. Studying the history and struggles of the oppressed allows for a more full understanding of the neighborhood, and Marxist theory provides a methodology for filling in those gaps. When analyzing the West Town community in Chicago, elements of Marxist theory reveal certain institutional oppressions based on class and race. West Town’s experience reveals how socioeconomic institutions are used to oppress low-income minorities by limiting their access to educational opportunities.
2. Marxist Theory & Education
In his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire considers the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed. In order for the community decisionmaking process to be successful, the leaders and the people have to be in constant dialogue:
The revolution is made neither by the leaders for the people, nor by the people for the leaders, but by both acting together in unshakable solidarity...Not all men and women have sufficient courage for this encounter- but when they avoid encounter they become inflexible and treat others as mere objects...And these are oppressor characteristics." (Freire 129)
As Freire discusses in this passage, the worst case scenario is when leaders do not consult with people, turning into oppressors themselves. This is what happened in West Town, where upper class city leadership manipulated the economy to their advantage. One of the ways they accomplished this was by controlling the social institutions in order to limit opportunities of the oppressed to acquire better paying jobs. Through these methods, the upper class maintains the status quo.
Perhaps one of the most effective legal ways that the upperclass of West Town obstruct the ability of lower income residents to get better paying jobs is by limiting their access to educational resources. The largest disparities of educational resource distribution between socioeconomic classes and races is in the 60622 postal region. Despite half of the population being white, there is a scarcity of white students in the public neighborhood high schools. Instead, higher income white families send their kids to private school or selective enrollment schools. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the boundaries of the public high school Wells Community Academy include Wicker Park, East Village, Noble Square, River West and even Navy Pier and West Loop -- all of which are predominantly white. Despite this fact, only 3% of the students who attend Wells are themselves white, with the remaining student body being half Latino and half black (Illinois Report Card). Similarly, both Wells and another local public high school, Roberto Clemente Community Academy, include many wealthy neighborhoods, but 95% of their students are from low-income households (Illinois Report Card). These statistics demonstrate the contrast between the racial and economic makeup of the communities they are supposed to serve and the actual students enrolled in these schools.
Being in a selective enrollment school expands the opportunities of those enrolled, because funding directly correlates with the resources that the school provides. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) gives selective enrollment schools substantially more funding than neighborhood schools. This is especially noticeable when looking at the 2015-2016 school year, when CPS lost 200,000 million dollars due to state budget cuts (Claypool). Because of the substantial monetary loss, Clemente’s funding decreased by $1.2 million, making it the 20th largest decrease among CPS schools, while funding of the selective enrollment school Jones College Prep increased by $700,000 (Chicago Tribune). This imbalance becomes ironic when reading the CPS guide on money distribution, which explains that schools receive money based on the special needs of students, such as poverty, limited English, and disability (cps.edu). The percentage of low-income students and those that need help with proficiency in English is significantly higher at Clemente than at Jones, but it is not reflected in the funding each school receives. This disparity in funding in turn leads to fewer student services, fewer teachers, and worse facilities.
The access to educational opportunities is important, because as Freire points out “the revolutionary process is eminently educational in character” (Freire 138). Education allows the oppressed to change how society is run so as to liberate themselves from economic and racial oppression. By contrast, the unequal distribution of funding and resources in West Town further oppresses lower income minority students by limiting their access to education.
3. Solution
The unequal distribution of educational resources is rooted in an antidialogical approach to educational leadership. Thus, the unequal distribution of educational resources can be corrected through an open dialogue between the community members, the city leadership, and the wealthy residents of the community. In Marxism, this method is known as the dialogical approach, wherein residents are involved in identifying and solving their problems. In West Town, this dialogical approach could be applied through a direct engagement of community members in educational problems. One of the many ways people can get involved is through community organizations like churches, cultural centers, and youth centers, which connect community members with the resources of their community.
These organizations could ease the existing disparity by addressing its root, promoting a dialogue between CPS and local residents. One way to accomplish this would be to use their influence within the community to pressure CPS into funding neighborhood schools more fairly. To that end, all these organizations would have to do is to educate people about the problem through community events. Educated about the problem, individuals will vote for the candidates that support equal educational opportunities. People can also participate in direct action, such as demonstrations and letter writing campaigns.
Besides pressuring the CPS, local organizations can raise money that neighborhood schools themselves lack. In order to do this, local organizations have to convince people, especially higher income families, that investments in neighborhood schools worth the benefit. Through collaboration with Wells and Clemente high schools, these organizations can engage in activities to promote these schools, like creating advertisement videos, launching internet campaigns, and promoting awareness during local events. These activities can change the perception of these schools, and as a result attract students from wealthy families. Engaging the upperclass in a dialogue with the community educational needs will increase investments in the local schools. With more wealthy students, higher-income families will donate to school activities, and this new funding will allow schools to improve the existing programs, create new programs, hire more qualified teachers, and improve their facilities. These improvements will help students from all backgrounds to succeed. It will be beneficial for higher income families, because their children will be in dialogue with the community, understand its diversity and problems better, and develop their revolutionary consciousness, thus breaking the cycle of oppression. Low-income families will also find these improvements beneficial as their children will get a better education that in turn will help them succeed. By attracting wealthier families and increasing donations, campaigns to promote the reputability of neighborhood schools will help unite students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to succeed.
Finally, in addition to fundraising and advocating for their needs, community organizations can also motivate students to study by offering after school activities which promote the value of education. One such organization is West Town Bikes, which works to promote the dialogical approach by providing educational outreach opportunities. The goal of West Town Bikes is to “teach young people professionalism, self-reliance, confidence, resourcefulness, financial independence, problem solving, community involvement, health and wellness, advocacy and sustainability,” with an explicit focus on “those that are least served” (West Town Bikes). They offer a free After School Matters program where participants not only learn the trade of bicycle maintenance and repair, but also resume writing and other business development practices, including financial counseling and presentation development. Because West Town Bikes presents such a wide variety of experiences, participants are often inspired to further their education in that field. West Town Bikes is a resource that takes the needs of the community into consideration and works to combat institutional oppression, by offering educational opportunities to the community that their neighborhood schools could not provide.
4. Conclusion
The antidialogical approach results in oppression of the lower class, which is evident in the educational inequality within West Town. However, the dialogical approach can be used to combat institutional oppression and give voice to the underclass. Both the institutional problems and their proposed solutions are not unique to this community, but can be seen throughout the world. The solutions developed by organizations in West Town can be used to liberate oppressed communities on a global scale.
The West Town community is a unique neighborhood comprised of a diversity of races, economic incomes, and social backgrounds that reflect the greater diversity of Chicago. The complexity of the problems of West Town’s neighborhoods are often overlooked by traditional historical analysis, which fails to consider the experience of the oppressed who are themselves a fundamental part of the neighborhood. Studying the history and struggles of the oppressed allows for a more full understanding of the neighborhood, and Marxist theory provides a methodology for filling in those gaps. When analyzing the West Town community in Chicago, elements of Marxist theory reveal certain institutional oppressions based on class and race. West Town’s experience reveals how socioeconomic institutions are used to oppress low-income minorities by limiting their access to educational opportunities.
2. Marxist Theory & Education
In his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire considers the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed. In order for the community decisionmaking process to be successful, the leaders and the people have to be in constant dialogue:
The revolution is made neither by the leaders for the people, nor by the people for the leaders, but by both acting together in unshakable solidarity...Not all men and women have sufficient courage for this encounter- but when they avoid encounter they become inflexible and treat others as mere objects...And these are oppressor characteristics." (Freire 129)
As Freire discusses in this passage, the worst case scenario is when leaders do not consult with people, turning into oppressors themselves. This is what happened in West Town, where upper class city leadership manipulated the economy to their advantage. One of the ways they accomplished this was by controlling the social institutions in order to limit opportunities of the oppressed to acquire better paying jobs. Through these methods, the upper class maintains the status quo.
Perhaps one of the most effective legal ways that the upperclass of West Town obstruct the ability of lower income residents to get better paying jobs is by limiting their access to educational resources. The largest disparities of educational resource distribution between socioeconomic classes and races is in the 60622 postal region. Despite half of the population being white, there is a scarcity of white students in the public neighborhood high schools. Instead, higher income white families send their kids to private school or selective enrollment schools. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the boundaries of the public high school Wells Community Academy include Wicker Park, East Village, Noble Square, River West and even Navy Pier and West Loop -- all of which are predominantly white. Despite this fact, only 3% of the students who attend Wells are themselves white, with the remaining student body being half Latino and half black (Illinois Report Card). Similarly, both Wells and another local public high school, Roberto Clemente Community Academy, include many wealthy neighborhoods, but 95% of their students are from low-income households (Illinois Report Card). These statistics demonstrate the contrast between the racial and economic makeup of the communities they are supposed to serve and the actual students enrolled in these schools.
Being in a selective enrollment school expands the opportunities of those enrolled, because funding directly correlates with the resources that the school provides. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) gives selective enrollment schools substantially more funding than neighborhood schools. This is especially noticeable when looking at the 2015-2016 school year, when CPS lost 200,000 million dollars due to state budget cuts (Claypool). Because of the substantial monetary loss, Clemente’s funding decreased by $1.2 million, making it the 20th largest decrease among CPS schools, while funding of the selective enrollment school Jones College Prep increased by $700,000 (Chicago Tribune). This imbalance becomes ironic when reading the CPS guide on money distribution, which explains that schools receive money based on the special needs of students, such as poverty, limited English, and disability (cps.edu). The percentage of low-income students and those that need help with proficiency in English is significantly higher at Clemente than at Jones, but it is not reflected in the funding each school receives. This disparity in funding in turn leads to fewer student services, fewer teachers, and worse facilities.
The access to educational opportunities is important, because as Freire points out “the revolutionary process is eminently educational in character” (Freire 138). Education allows the oppressed to change how society is run so as to liberate themselves from economic and racial oppression. By contrast, the unequal distribution of funding and resources in West Town further oppresses lower income minority students by limiting their access to education.
3. Solution
The unequal distribution of educational resources is rooted in an antidialogical approach to educational leadership. Thus, the unequal distribution of educational resources can be corrected through an open dialogue between the community members, the city leadership, and the wealthy residents of the community. In Marxism, this method is known as the dialogical approach, wherein residents are involved in identifying and solving their problems. In West Town, this dialogical approach could be applied through a direct engagement of community members in educational problems. One of the many ways people can get involved is through community organizations like churches, cultural centers, and youth centers, which connect community members with the resources of their community.
These organizations could ease the existing disparity by addressing its root, promoting a dialogue between CPS and local residents. One way to accomplish this would be to use their influence within the community to pressure CPS into funding neighborhood schools more fairly. To that end, all these organizations would have to do is to educate people about the problem through community events. Educated about the problem, individuals will vote for the candidates that support equal educational opportunities. People can also participate in direct action, such as demonstrations and letter writing campaigns.
Besides pressuring the CPS, local organizations can raise money that neighborhood schools themselves lack. In order to do this, local organizations have to convince people, especially higher income families, that investments in neighborhood schools worth the benefit. Through collaboration with Wells and Clemente high schools, these organizations can engage in activities to promote these schools, like creating advertisement videos, launching internet campaigns, and promoting awareness during local events. These activities can change the perception of these schools, and as a result attract students from wealthy families. Engaging the upperclass in a dialogue with the community educational needs will increase investments in the local schools. With more wealthy students, higher-income families will donate to school activities, and this new funding will allow schools to improve the existing programs, create new programs, hire more qualified teachers, and improve their facilities. These improvements will help students from all backgrounds to succeed. It will be beneficial for higher income families, because their children will be in dialogue with the community, understand its diversity and problems better, and develop their revolutionary consciousness, thus breaking the cycle of oppression. Low-income families will also find these improvements beneficial as their children will get a better education that in turn will help them succeed. By attracting wealthier families and increasing donations, campaigns to promote the reputability of neighborhood schools will help unite students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to succeed.
Finally, in addition to fundraising and advocating for their needs, community organizations can also motivate students to study by offering after school activities which promote the value of education. One such organization is West Town Bikes, which works to promote the dialogical approach by providing educational outreach opportunities. The goal of West Town Bikes is to “teach young people professionalism, self-reliance, confidence, resourcefulness, financial independence, problem solving, community involvement, health and wellness, advocacy and sustainability,” with an explicit focus on “those that are least served” (West Town Bikes). They offer a free After School Matters program where participants not only learn the trade of bicycle maintenance and repair, but also resume writing and other business development practices, including financial counseling and presentation development. Because West Town Bikes presents such a wide variety of experiences, participants are often inspired to further their education in that field. West Town Bikes is a resource that takes the needs of the community into consideration and works to combat institutional oppression, by offering educational opportunities to the community that their neighborhood schools could not provide.
4. Conclusion
The antidialogical approach results in oppression of the lower class, which is evident in the educational inequality within West Town. However, the dialogical approach can be used to combat institutional oppression and give voice to the underclass. Both the institutional problems and their proposed solutions are not unique to this community, but can be seen throughout the world. The solutions developed by organizations in West Town can be used to liberate oppressed communities on a global scale.
Works cited
"After School Matters." West Town Bikes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2016.
Bordens, Alex, Abraham Epton, and Geoff Hing. "CPS School Budgets." Chicago Tribune. N.p., 12 Aug. 2015. Web. 20 May 2016.
Claypool, Forrest. "Chicago Public Schools Fiscal Year 2016 Budget." CPS. 25 Jan. 2016. Web. 23 May 2016.
"Clemente Community Academy HS." Illinois Report Card. Illinois State Board of Education, 2015. Web. 20 May 2016.
Freire, Paulo. "Chapter 4." Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 1970. 125-81. Print.
"Understanding the Chicago Public Schools Budget." Cps.edu. CPS Office of Management and Budget, n.d. Web. 20 May 2016.
"Wells Community Academy." Illinois Report Card. Illinois State Board of Education, 2015. Web. 20 May 2016.