“Unmasking Halloween”
Question: Are Middleboro’s attempts to be inclusive to cultural minorities fair to everyone? Why or why not?
I view this case study as a very sensitive topic because inclusivity is essential for a positive functioning community, especially in a school setting. Further reflecting upon this case study, a key point that pops out to me is how belonging is an essential quality to living a holistic life. For example, cultural belonging is one of the main focuses I try to encourage in my future practice. With this in mind, I view Middleboro’s decision to reconsider Halloween traditions for the new families within their community as an attempt to encourage their sense of belonging. Consequently, these decisions caused change which can be difficult for others to accept. Ultimately, I would argue since an individual came forward with strong feelings of disagreement the attempt to be inclusive was not fair for everyone. At the same time, I agree that Middleboro was doing the right thing; however, Middleboro’s attempt to be inclusive can be improved. For example, the newsletter mentioned in the case study could have been sent to parents before the field trips and alternative ideas of celebrations were confirmed. As a result, this would have provided an opportunity for parents to have a better understanding of what was happening and the reasons why. Furthermore, it would have opened up an opportunity for parents to reach out to the people in decision-making positions at the schools (teachers and principals) before reaching out to the school district superintendent. Not only the newsletter would have been beneficial, but also a meeting to discuss compromise and considerations of all families would have also been helpful. It’s important to realize that some might argue that not celebrating Halloween is disregarding the other families from Canada. Halloween has some traditions that can be fun for students, including trick or treating. In a perfect sense, I would hope that the parents and teachers would be able to come to a compromise of incorporating different cultural perspectives to encourage inclusivity of all.
