Racist Facebook Event against Native Americans: Preservice Teachers Explore Ethical And Critical Multicultural Implications

Vol. 9 No. 1

Year: 2012

 Issue: April-June

Title	: Racist Facebook Event against Native Americans: Preservice Teachers Explore Ethical And Critical Multicultural Implications
Author Name	: Antonette Aragon, Karen Kaminski
Synopsis	:
This exploratory case study sought to analyze data from Collaborative Learning Modalities (Brantmeier, Aragon & Folkestad, 2011) on-line threaded discussions in a teacher education course where pre-service teachers examined the nature of a Facebook event revealing unethical and racist notions against Native Americans. In 2010 a university student posted a Facebook event titled, “Cowboys vs. Indians” inviting fellow students to wear “Indian headdress” to rouse team spirit for a rival basketball game. This Facebook event stimulated commentary from many university students decrying Native Americans. Participants in this study believed unethical racism was present in this event because of the prolific nature of on-line communication where offensive statements and ideas were cruelly exposed about Native Americans. Such offensive ideas asserted against Native Americans were performed under a false sense of anonymity or autonomy.Yet anonymity was revealed by the media and such information was exposed displaying unethical behavior to a large unanticipated audience.