Notes on Class Discussion of
January 31, 2008
By
Halford Fairchild
Students
raised a number of interesting observations from our readings. Their observations led me to the following
musings:
1.
Sir Francis Galton, who wrote Hereditary Genius in 1869, breathed new
life into an old idea of an in-born hierarchy within humans (scientific
racism). Galton also invented the
correlation coefficient, a VERY useful statistical tool that MUST be understood
by any serious student in the social sciences.
2.
Black psychology is a psychology of liberation. That liberation must be spiritual, physical,
psychological, and economical.
3.
Economic rip-offs continue in the exploitation of African natural
resources. In taxation without
representation (for example, at the
4.
The idea of communalism versus individualism,
makes a difference in how data ought to be analyzed. What are the units of
analysis? Individuals or groups? Raw scores or group means?
5.
Although I no longer live in South Central LA, I’m close by (in
6.
The ethnic mix of our class is possible because of the intimate nature
of The Claremonts.
Black Studies classes in large universities are less mixed.
7.
Denise asked me about what it meant to be ABPsi
President. Although President for 1
year, it is a 3 year commitment to the BOD (president elect, president, past
president), and a lifelong commitment to serving The ABPsi.
Elaborative Notes
on Chapter 2 for February 5, 2008
Worldview
is more than a way of thinking. It is
also a way of feeling and behaving. They
are guidelines for living.
We
idealize too much in African American psychology. A lot of African worldviews have been
corrupted.
An
African world view is germane to people of African descent. … but all people are
African descended.
The
distinctions between Africans and Europeans are not so clear cut; the
“Dimensions” are continua. There is a
lot of overlap.
Joseph
White was a prime mover in the formation of The ABPsi
in 1968.
African
values were corrupted, largely, because Africans were NOT so isolated in a way
that would allow them to preserve those values.
Kemet (3200 BC)
was, in a sense, and ending, not a beginning.
According
to Akbar, humans are essentially spirit.
He means this literally. There is
a visible and invisible reality… the invisible is more important.
Mbiti (1970) articulated the collectivist idea as: “I am beczuse we
are; and because we are, therefore I am.”
Nobles calls this the principle of
“consubstantiation.”
CPT
is dysfunctional. We can be ‘mo better
in this regard. If you get there on
time, you are late (Fairchild)
Orality – see Roots, by Alex Haley
Sensitivity
to others is related to emotional IQ
Verve
and rhythm in pedagogy vs. pedagogy of the oppressed
We
are confronted by cultural imperialism (through the mass media). What ideas and/or values are propagated?
Comparing
Blacks and Whites on anything is suspicious.
As Hilliard noted, there is no operational definition for race, or how
to draw a race sample. Race is a proxy
for other things (life experiences).
The
idea of “objectivity” is a myth, and a disservice to huwomanity. (“Anything value free is value less”)