Jane Elliott Classroom Experience - Essay Example

When rewards are allocated to those who fit the profile of being at the top of the hierarchy, this doubly discourages those at the bottom because it reinforces privilege, based on arbitrary criteria that the young person cannot change. It is not possible to change from a brown-eyed to a blue-eyed category and so this reinforces low self-esteem and encourages reactions like despair, resentment, and either depression or rebellion. This experiment relates directly to current debates about immigration in the United States, and it could apply equally to the way that people view different religions, for example Jewish people regarding Muslims as backward, or terrorist; or evangelical Christians regarding liberals as weak and immoral.

There may also be an elitist academic group which regards all religion as evidence of inferior reasoning ability. The self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when one view is so dominant that it is perceived as normal. Thinking about this experiment has made me appreciate the American constitution, or at least the ideals that it contains, regarding freedom to practise any religion, and the equality of all citizens. The experiment shows how easily people slip into oppressive behaviors, and how much damage can be done by unthinking prejudice.

Thinking about this makes me very conscious of my own individual responsibility to challenge stereotypes, even when they seem well accepted and are promoted by people in positions of authority.