[Rhiannon]

I agree with you. Overall, the U.S. educational system does not teach students to think critically about our culture and our hierarchies and to transform society. It teaches students to adapt to the system as it is - like you said, to become good consumers (you wouldn't believe how much advertising there is in many U.S. high schools!) I imagine most Americans would disagree with me, though.

User Detail :  

Name : Rhiannon, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 28, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, Occupation : Media studies graduate student, 

[Alain]

Everyone I know here in Europe thinks racism exists in the United States because the education system there is designed to make people good citizens and good consumers rather than to really educate them. In other words, it is in the best interest of the wealthy and of the government to keep people separated. I would like to know what Americans have to say about this point.

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Name : Alain, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : Swiss German, Religion : Atheist, Age : 25, City : Zurich, State : NA Country : Switzerland, Occupation : Family Business, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[Gayle]

Racism in the United States may be a result of our history of permitting slavery and of our past treatment of the indigenous peoples. Subjugation of the indigenous peoples and use of slaves promoted an attitude of superiority in the European settlers that has continued into the 20th century. That attitude was naturally reflected in the education system. But I think our schools today are trying very hard to educate people to the evils of racism. For instance, they teach about the terrible Holocaust, Hitler's and Germany's attempt to exterminate the Jewish people of Europe.

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Name : Gayle, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 36, City : Sioux Falls, State : SD Country : United States, Occupation : Housewife, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Mike]

I know you can get jailed in Europe for saying anything other than egalitarian cliches when discussing race, but come on! Forced integration, anti-white discrimination (Affirmative Action), etc., and you think that the government is trying to separate us? Well, there are non-white only scholarships, schools, TV, etc., so maybe they are trying to separate us.

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Name : Mike, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : European American, Religion : Atheist, Age : 21, City : Pawtucket, State : RI Country : United States, Occupation : Installer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Samuel]

Alain, you are more correct than you probably know. The educational system has formed along the same lines as everything else in this country: by popular demand. No backroom conspiracy of middle-aged white males has been necessary. In any given community, the people who send their children to school have final say over what the educational curriculum will be. If they do not appreciate 'revisionist' history (in other words, history that sheds any negative light, however accurate, on the birth and development of our current society) being taught in their schools, then it will not be taught. This sort of willful ignorance, spawned by the ages-old philosophy of conquerors ('the end justifies the means'), has contributed to the perpetuation of social inequity in our society. The fact that many individual minorities, even blacks, have overcome much of the racism in our society does not discount its existence within the framework of that society. Also, I disagree with Onewanda about the nature of a 'good consumer.' In the eyes of the greedy, a good consumer is an ignorant consumer, functional enough to earn disposable income, but unwilling to seriously question the socioeconomic vortex into which he funnels his income.

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Name : Samuel, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 31, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Firefighter, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Andrew]

Racism exists everywhere, no matter what the educational philosophy. And as bad as things are in this country, I don't see any other country that's doing any better. How many members of the German parliament are of Turkish ancestry? How many British MPs are of Indian, Pakistani or Jamaican ancestry? Are European attitudes toward Jews any more enlightened now than 60 years ago? For all America's faults, American minorities are more likely to share power and wealth than minorities anywhere else in the world. As for the idea that the U.S. government is interested in keeping groups separate, that flies in the face of 30 years of active - and not totally successful - efforts to integrate schools.

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Name : Andrew, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 35, City : Huntington, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Reporter, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Onewanda]

Of course the education system is designed to make people good citizens; that's a part of an education system anywhere. However, if it is true that the education system is attempting to make us better consumers, then we'd be investing a lot more money, time and talent into educating people. There would also be no debate or controversy about advertising in schools, unless this is part of the goverment's disinformation plan (the conspiracy theorist's favorite rebuttle). We would also be giving the government a lot more credit than it deserves. I for one, sure don't believe the government has the collective brain power to come up with a plan as subversive as dividing the races in order to make them consume more. (I guess this would work via no sharing, everyone must buy their own?)

I think the folks in the government are working harder to keep their own interests on top, their own pockets lined, and yet still win an election. I think racism can be and is reinforced in schools - despite our best intentions, however, racism starts much, much earlier than that - from the moment a child begins to understand the nuances of communication. For example: Racism or whatever-ism starts the minute a child makes the connection between mom or dad unconsciously pulling them protectively closer when someone of a different race walks by.

I do not believe racism exists in this country for a purely consumerist purpose. I think it came from the same place much of our culture came from: It immigrated, and with a few modifications we made it our own. Every country has its racism. I'd like to know what Europeans and others think about the racism in their own back yards.

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Name : Onewanda, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 27, City : NYC, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Kathleen26637]

First, racism exists everywhere. There is just as much racism and hatred in Europe as there is here in the States. It's more blatent here,though, because it is black and white. Having said that, the general idea of Alain's statement is correct. Everything here in America is designed to benefit the rich, no mattter what their race or ethnic backround is. Our government was designed by rich (white)men to benefit the rich. There is no major effort to even out the balance of money here because that would,in turn, cause the rich to lose their power. The situation in America is this: as long as we our fighting amoungst ourselves over issues such as race, we will not unite and bring about the changes that would shift the balance of money and power. So it is true;it is in the best interest of the wealthy and the government to keep people seperated.

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Name : Kathleen26637, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : black/white/native american, Religion : Atheist, Age : 22, City : Cincinnati, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : sales, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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