September 17, 2015 - 23:46
In an essay written by Dalke, the word “slippage” appears. Living in a community, we cannot avoid committing a “slippage”. It is to unknowingly hurt someone. It is common to do it in daily lives since it is impossible to avoid dissent where more than two people gather. Even if they share lots of same features or have same hobbies, it is inevitable for them to be always the same or always have the same feelings unless they are clones of each other. All people are different from each other. In particular, in multicultural environment, “slippage” is more likely to happen. Even when we have knowledges of other races, religions or cultures, it is difficult to reflect on practice. Hence, in case we do not know enough about each other or have prejudice or stereotypes against each other, there are plenty of possibilities to hurt others. Then, what enables people to stay in a community, a group or a team? In my opinion, it is compromise. People live together in harmony by adapting to a new environment, accepting and respecting others.
In the essay, the case of room decoration gave me a strong impression. “Midway through the course of this exercise, one of his classmates looks around the room, and says suddenly that the lights make her uncomfortable, because they remind her of Christmas — and she is not Christian. Nkechi is stunned — ashamed, she says later — that her attempt to create a welcoming space has made one of her classmates feel so unwelcome.” Nkechi committed “slippage”. She wanted to make everyone happy so she decorated the room with lights, which turned out to make one of the peers uncomfortable. If I were Nkechi, I think I have done the same thing as her. I might not come up with an idea that decoration annoys someone’s feeling. Even I did not come up with an idea until reading this part that there are people who do not celebrate Christmas, though it is as a matter of course. “Slippage” happens unconsciously and people learn after they committed it. After realizing that there was a person who felt uncomfortable because of Nkechi’s deed, “She immediately offers to turn off the lights.” but “When she does this, the others seem to me disappointed”. What she has done to resolve the problem caused another problem. Majority of people in the room liked the decoration and wanted the lights remain turning on. “but — glad not to have to negotiate this division, which has caught me off-guard — I quickly re-direct our attention back to the text at hand.” She gave priority to the person who felt uncomfortable to the lights in this case and it was the best decision in that community where no one complains selfishly. Nkechi insists “I do want everyone to feel comfortable [and safe] in all of the spaces we share …. i think it’s important for every member of a community to be heard. so i’m also uncomfortable with a majority giving in to the wishes of a minority. every voice is not heard and respected in that situation either. consensus based decision making seems impossible on the scale of this entire campus, and too time consuming for our classroom, but i wonder if we can make a little more space for it in our lives.” Ideally speaking, it is wonderful if always everybody feels comfortable but it is impossible as long as we are in a community. Every voice cannot be heard and “slippage” might happen. Some have to compromise with others to maintain the community.
To borrow an idea from Jordan’s short story, “the ultimate connection cannot be the enemy. The ultimate connection must be the need that we find between us. It is not only who you are,in other words, but what we can do for each other that will determine the connection. (p. 47)” When people respect each other and accept others and adapt to them in occasion, the community will be linked with a tight bond. There will be a connection among people in the community. Even if someone unknowingly do “slippage”, the community will not collapse as long as people compromise with each other.
Works Cited
Dalke, Anne. ”Slipping into Something More (Un)Comfortable: Untangling Identity, Unsettling Community.” STEAL THIS CLASSROOM. Web. 17 Sep. 2015.
Jordan, June, Report from the Bahamas. 1982, Meridians 3, 2 (2003): 6-16. Print.