GSLL 6206 Sec. 2

Roger Johnson

March 04 2012

Community of Practices: Legitimized Conceptions

My understanding of lifelong learning includes many different types of conceptual content. The movieCrash, had many of examples of communities of practice. I thought the beginning was relatively abstract because there was no focus on any one given scene. The movie started with a car crash and those involved could barely understand each other because of the different languages spoken. Some folks were speaking Spanish and some were speaking English, I am not sure of the other languages spoken but either was one I could understand.

In one scene, an African American couple were driving home from an outing. Two police officers were sitting in lieu waiting for the next possible suspect. The couple drove by the officers, laughing and joking with no anticipation of being pulled over. Nonetheless, they were pulled over and searched. When the husband of the couple asked, "why he was being detained," the officer stated that s/he had reason to believe that a lewd act was being performed on him/her by his/her. The officer then decided to hand search the couple, but he decided to molest the woman by rubbing her gentiles while the husband could only stand by and watch. I truly believe that race was the major factor given the behavior of the senior officer. Also, I truly believe that if the woman had been a white woman, she would not have been denigrated if front of her/his husband. The couple drove off and the woman was ecstatic with her husband because he/she did not do anything to stop the officer from sexually assaulting her/him. Ironically, the junior officer who stood by looking at his/her partner violate a citizen, looked at his/her partner in disgust and s/he went to the staff sergeant and requested a transfer. S/he was awarded a transfer.

The corruption, and how it was so easily overlooked by the sergeant was inexcusable. Once that sergeant is notified of corruption, I think it is incumbent of him/her to act upon it immediately. Do I see a community of practice in the skit? I do not believe there was a functional community of practice but I see it as a community of practice in progress. One would hope that things will get better over time. I believe if the best thing had happened, the senior officer would have been reprimanded, suspended, or possibly dismissed from the force. S/he could have also faced criminal charges for sexual assault.

In another skit, the very woman who was sexually assaulted by the senior police officer was involved in a car crash. S/he was pinned in her/his overturned vehicle when her/his leaking gas tank caught fire. Passerby officers saw the car crush and immediately offered their ssistance. As the officers try to free the woman from the burning car, the woman realizes that the officer

trying to free her/him is the same officer who touched him/her inappropriately. S/he starting screaming and rejecting the officers assistance, and did not want him/her to touch her.

Nonetheless, s/he continued to pull her from the car wreck eventually freeing her from the burning car. The woman was not only traumatized from the car crash, but s/he was traumatized because s/he had a very negative experience with that particular officer. The car exploded moments after s/he was free from the car. There is no question that the outcome was very positive and the best thing happened. I question whether this outcome is a positive community of practice? I say to some degree it is. The problem I face with this skit being a community of practice is that a negative always outweighs a positive. I think the first thought that came to the woman's mind when s/he saw the officer was not a good one given s/he did not want him/her to touch her/him. In knowing that, I can see her/him not having any trust knowing what s/he did to her. I think the act of compassion given by the officer was well founded, but on the other hand he could have s/he could have only been trying to save her because that situation was in his/her line of duty.

What also comes to mind, is that history shows that Black women have been sexually, mentally, and physically abused by slave masters and others. The whole notion of community of practice is somewhat distorted because the officer who saved the woman's fate, is not trustworthy; therefore, giving the woman cause to reject his act of kindness. It becomes obvious that the woman has evidential reasons not to trust the officer due to past histories and her/his present experiences. As well, given its size and complicated laws, I think America has other corrupted police departments, and if my observation has veracity, then legitimate and functional community of practice would be an uncommon when police officers interact with African American's.

The one skit that I would consider a community of practice, is the role played by the Rapper Ludacris. S/he and his partner were discussing how it is acceptable for Black's to rob and steal as long as they do it to non-Blacks. The partner agreed but Ludracris did not agree with that analogy. While the two were separated, Ludracris stole a van and drove it off to a chop shop to sell for payment. Upon arrival, the shop boss discovered that the van had a group of illegal aliens in the cargo area. The shop boss noticed that the under area had blood on it, and decided that the van was worthless but he was willing to pay for the aliens. Ludacris rejected the offer and ditched the van in an area where it could be openly seen. Ludacris opened the cargo doors and told the aliens to exit the van. Not really understanding the English language, the aliens fled the scene and ran for their freedom.

Getting back to Ludacris, shortly after he parked the van and released the aliens, s/he walked away emitting a positive and heavenly smile. I think a community of practice was served because of the good that transcended from the entire event. Ludacris made an entire situation better by not taking the money for the van, not selling the aliens to the shop boss, and then driving the van to a an area where it could easily be spotted. Lastly, every situation in that skit had a good ending notwithstanding the opportunity for deception and corruption was the initial purpose. I think the nameCrash, is the perfect name for the movie. The movie begins with a car crash, and it ends with a car crash. Throughout the movie-like excerpts, each scene showed that a community of practice was present, but the movie also showed that not all communities of practice were legitimate. Legitimacy will be a topic in another essay, but for the purpose of this essay, legitimacy shows that a community of practice must be meaningful and productive, having all involved working toward a common goal.