Bert Byron wrote:
> Rebecca, surely we are teaching students to have empathy with the 'self'
We all
> carry within us the capacity to become 'the other'. Not that I say this in
any
> religious context - (as somebody who took great comfort from Carl Jung), I
feel
> that in some cases, a text can make you aware of 'there but for the grace
of
> ... go I..)
> My first contribution to this forum so go easy !!
>
> Bert
Bert,
If Hoffman is right, then we all must realize that we carry within us the
capacity to become the other, because according to him empathy naturally
occurs within us sometime in early childhood. Why would it, if not for the
realization that, as you say, there but for the grace of whoever go I?
Unfortunately, the only 'self' we can know is our own. Once we feel for
the Other, become for the Other then we take the experiences of the Other
and apply them to ourselves. We realize that we could be in that situation,
whatever it is, and cease to judge. From this point we begin to (hopefully)
take moral action on whatever level (usually the most local) and that is a
step in the direction of social justice.
As I am an English teacher, the best route I can take to foster empathy in
my students is through Literature--my broad definition of Lit includes film,
art, music. My goals depend wholly on stimulating the moral imagination of
my students, so a lot of effort goes in to choosing the right texts that
don't require a lot of unpacking and digging to find the core. Simply
because I'm dealing with first time critical thinkers.
WJ
I haven't seen Gangs of New York. The scene you've described, unless the
protagonist is seen approving the violence, can't be "evil" or bad or not
good. I think seeing such a lynching of a core member of the principle cast
would heighten my anger toward such activity, motivating me to NOT act in
such ways, i.e. to take the opposite action.
I'm having a lot of trouble thinking of a film that fits the "opposite of a
good film" criteria. I think that may be because no matter what is
portrayed in a film I can find something good. Even if the goodness is
simply left in the less than good film's wake. You know, in the gaps. I'll
keep trying.
Rebecca
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