“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn."
― Xun Kuang
What do you think South Korean boy band Ateez, Swami Ramanand Tirtha and Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar have in common? Not much, you’d think. Yet, these personalities came together in the ‘Power and Authority’ project that was conducted in the Grade 11 Sociology class in DLRC.
The project, which has been conducted every year for the past six years, is one wherein each student chooses a celebrity, changemaker or someone in power and analyses them. That is, analyses the kind of power and authority they hold in society, their individual identities, their childhood and their family structures. The student is also required to analyse a song, speech, quote, poem, theory or philosophy by the personality. This is then presented to the class, along with a booklet which consists of all the research they’ve done and a poster through which they showcase their creativity.
Mihit Mundada presenting his project on Fela Kuti and Ramanand Tirtha
The Sociology facilitator for Grades 11 and 12 is Sarita Ma’am. She also facilitates Social Studies for Middle School, and is building a Thematics curriculum for Primary School, which is about integrated and experiential learning.
She strongly believes in project-based learning and learning through researching. These methods make a topic more relatable to the students. Letting them choose a personality according to their interests makes learning more relevant and accessible.
The main purpose of the project is for us to build our research skills. To make connections about anything happening in society and the content in the books, and to look at the world more analytically and not just take it at face value.
The personalities we chose ranged from American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift to highly influential Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, from American actress Marilyn Monroe to ancient Greek poet Sappho. Through these personalities, various topics were discussed. This included art, literature, colonisation, the fight between good and evil, crime, cultural phenomena, war, conflict, oppression and activism.
We discovered that all these factors played a role in the work they did and who they were. More often than not, we found that their gender, ethnic, age, and class identities shaped them. Their family structure and childhood played a role in the work they did as adults and their primary and secondary socialisation also impacted them. The art they produced, the lives they led, the changes they wielded were all influenced by these things.
Vanshika Tikekar presenting her project on American alternative rock band
The Neighbourhood
“Through your research I also gain knowledge. I learn something new, not just about the content you’re presenting, but also about you and your interests,” said Sarita Ma’am about the students’ work.
The personality I chose was Maya Angelou, American memoirist, poet, and Civil Rights activist. When I first read her poem ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’, it struck a chord with me. I didn't fully understand what she was trying to convey, but I knew that she was conveying something important. Over the years, I read more about her and of her works, and I was inspired by her honest commentary on the Black female experience. This was the reason I chose her for this project.
Through the project, I learnt about not just her literary achievements, but also about the work she did as an activist. She was a true pioneer. A woman who was brave enough to create a voice for herself and bring light to her people and her community that has lived under oppression for hundreds of years.
Her work remains important and relevant even in contemporary society. There are so many marginalised communities that face oppression and are being suppressed by the ideologies of the ruling class. I have understood that these are not just ‘communities’, which is often how they are referred to. Communities are made up of individuals. Individuals, who like us, are deserving of basic human rights and dignity. Individuals who have voices. And they are all trying, like Maya Angelou, for their voices to be heard.
I believe that it is our duty as citizens of the world, to actively listen to these voices in any way that we can. This journey has created a sense of belief in me about this.
Sharanya Rao presenting her project on Maya Angelou
We all have niche interests, and receiving a chance to explore these along with learning was brilliant. The most important takeaway from this project, for me, was learning that everyone is a product of their surroundings and upbringing, and that this influences a person in a myriad ways.
To be more observant, see the depth within people and create a sense of empathy for individuals in society, is what we should all strive towards.
Take a look at the posters made by the students here!
By Sharanya Rao (G11)
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