"What're a few n . . . jokes among friends? We Kaufmans have always been the type of n . . .rs who can take a joke. I used to visit my father, the sketch artist at the Wilshire LAPD precinct. His fellow officers would stand around cluttered desks breaking themselves up by telling how-many-n . . .s-does-it-take jokes, pounding each other on the back and looking over their broad shoulders to see if me and Daddy were laughing. Dad always was. the epaulets on his shoulders raising up like inchworms as he giggled. I never laughted until my father slapped me hard between the shoulder blades. The heavy-handed blow bringing my weight to my tiptoes, raising my chin from my chest, and I'd burp out a couple of titters of self-defilement." (at p. 9)

• Labeling Theory and Ethnomethodology, Online.
  Good source of theory for understanding the passage from White Boy Shuffle

Click on the BACK button of your browser to return to the exercise.

1. Which of the following comments on the above passage from White Boy Shuffle do you consider most appropriate?

1. Beatty's detailed description of the physical effects of the blow his father delivered to nudge him into deference behavior makes the self-defilement he felt in such behavior come to life.

   jeanne's lecture notes:

   A review of labeling theory should help you see the juxtaposition of lived anger and frustration with enforced deference behavior. This comment is appropriate, for Beatty's graphic, active description gives us an image of a child in revolt. We can almost see the sharp blow bring his head up from where it hung on his chest.

   Acceptable comment. But read the others.

2. Beatty's father laughs at the how-many-does-it-take jokes because if he had not laughed, or if he had objected, it would have resulted in an uncomfortable work situation.

   jeanne's lecture notes:

   The first clue that this may not be an appropriate comment comes with "because," which suggests a causal analysis. Causal analysis in the social sciences is difficult. The comment might have been more effective had it said, "One possible cause . . ." This is an example of the elitism of specialized knowledge, in which we presume that we know. A refusal to laugh might have been uncomfortable, but it might have also led Beatty's father down a path that could have led somewhere other than suicide. We also have no way of knowing whether a refusal to laugh might have changed the fellow officers. Not an acceptable comment for jeanne.

3. The fact that the fellow officers looked to see if Beatty and his father were laughing seems to indicate that they were accepted in the group, and that if they had not laughed, the jokes might have stopped. However, since the officers were taking part in dominant discourse, there was no acceptable discourse in which Beatty and his father could reach or express their feelings.

   jeanne's lecture notes:

   Notice the use of "seems to indicate" instead of "indicates." We are leaving room for disagreement and for other perspectives. One way of showing acceptance is by deferring to the opinion of others. Perhaps the officers were deferring to Beatty and his father for their approval. Or to see how much they could get away with.

   But the officers are part of the dominant discourse group. They belong. Though those of the dominant group may test the waters by deferring briefly to those not represented in the dominant discourse, they are unlikely to defer to the judgment of those who have been excluded. So one must consider the power to control of the dominant group.

   When I say that "there was no acceptable discourse in which Beatty and his father could reach or express their feelings," I am referring to the fact that there is no imaginary for a world in which we could express our feelings as equals, respecting one another. The lack of such a discourse affects our ability to imagine the world as different, in addition to making any expression of that imaginary possible. (Check on "imaginary." I think I used it correctly here, but I need to add it to our Vocabulary Index, for it is one of those words for which a dictionary won't help.)

   An acceptable comment. But consider others.

4. All of the above.

   jeanne's lecture notes:

   Not a good answer choice because "b" is not an acceptable comment.

5. jeanne's lecture notes:

   Some of the above. Best answer choice because "a" and "c" are appropriate comments.

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