indoctrination

This insightful chapter from Fear-Segal’s book provides an interesting discussion of the “The Man on the Bandstand’s” exercise of thought control via the Indian Helper. While reading, I couldn’t help but think of W.E.B. DuBois’ notion of a “double consciousness” which he explains in his work The Souls of Black Folk. DuBois argues that for racial oppression to be most effective, the oppressor must somehow inculcate the consciousness of the oppressor within that of the oppressed. In the context of racism, this would mean that African Americans accept white Americans belief in the inferiority and stupidity of blacks.

The operations of the Man on the Bandstand represent efforts at this type of indoctrination. As Fear-Segal demonstrates, Marianna Burgess wrote articles in the Indian Helper with the aim of creating an understanding among students that the shifting persona of the Man on the Bandstand saw everything that occurred on campus. The bandstand was positioned at a place where he could see all student activities. He mentioned that he would sometimes leave the bandstand and, unknown to them, mingle amongst the students, observing their all of their activities and behavior. In our times, this all-observing presence could be understood as a Big Brother that is always watching. The description of state power which observes all citizens via hidden mirrors, cameras, etc. in Orwell’s novel 1984 provides a vivid illustration of the concept.

The figure of authority cannot possibly observe everything that every single person does. However, they aim to cultivate constant and unwavering obedience by creating the false awareness that they are in fact doing so. For example, Bentham tried to create pipes to the prisoners’ cells to listen to their conversations. The man on the bandstand however, created the impression – the illusion – that he was listening to all of the students’ conversations.

However powerful it may have been, the inculcation of a “double consciousness” was nonetheless blatantly coming from a figure of white, male, authority. Marianna Burgess therefore wrote the book Stiya: A Carlisle Indian Girl at Home to express her hegemonic narrative from the perspective of a young Indian girl. She aimed to get inside of Indian students’ heads by using the liberty of literary freedom to get inside students’ conversations.

This article could be viewed However powerful it may have been, the inculcation of a “double consciousness” was nonetheless blatantly coming from a figure of white, male, authority. Marianna Burgess therefore wrote the book Stiya: A Carlisle Indian Girl at Home to express her hegemonic narrative from the perspective of a young Indian girla young Indian girl’s head.

from the perspective of some other readings and videos we have studied this semester, including Faucalt and the City Springs documentary. Throughout all of these pieces, we have seen the common thread of an intimate relationship between models of military and models of education. As these authors show us, authoritative forces utilize discipline, fear, punishment, hierarchal structures, and other means to destroy student’s individuality, personalities, and cultural values for the purpose of indoctrinating them with hegemonic values that serve the interests of the oppressor.