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Jane Elliott’s Blue Eye/ Brown Eye experiment and the Functions of institutionalized racism

Jane Elliot, a school teacher in the town of Riceville, Iowa, undertook the anti-racial experiment in her all-white third-grade classrooms after the killing of the civil rights leader. Eliot wanted to make the student understand the feelings of discrimination. As such, she split her students into two groups using eye color. Eliot told the students that individuals with brown eye color get characterized by superiority over those with blue eye colors (Bloom 3). Also, her conclusion was exhibited by telling the students how brown eye colors are more civilized and better thinkers than blue eye colored students. As such, the experiment was based on determining how institutionalized racism works in the United States of America. Eliot separated the students where the blue-eyed students could play, have lunch and interact differently with the brown-eyed students. As a result, a fight broke out between the students with brown eyes and blue eyes (Bloom 6). The fight that broke between the students with blue eyes and brown eyes depicts racial criticism due to Eliot’s explanation of the effect of melanin on darkening the color of the eye. The use of race to describe the color of the human eye led to criticism, creating a controversial argument between the supporters and the criticizers. Therefore, the paper tries to answer whether the Eliot Blue eye Brown Eye experiment deserves criticism. It also examines the virtues and flaws of the experiment to determine its merits in combating racism.

Does the Eliot Blue Eye Brown Eye Experiment Deserve Criticism?

Eliot’s Blue Eye and Brown Eye experiments do not deserve criticism. Eliot used the experiment to describe how institutionalized racism gets promoted by ideas that can never be true. As such, she used the kids in grade, thereby explaining their superiority based on their eye colors. She wanted the students to understand the feelings of discrimination based on color in society (Bloom 8). At first, Eliot describes how the brown-eyed students were superior to the blue-eyed students. Through his description, she had to split the students into two groups. The first group was the brown-eyed student, while the second group was the blue-eyed student. After explaining how the brown-eyed student is superior, and the blue-eyed students are less superior, the student asked about the parent’s superiority. To answer the question, Eliot responded how the parent with the blue eye kicked the child to create a notion in the student’s mind of the arrogant character of the parent.

Consequently, Eliot involved the teachers in the experiment by asking for assistance in the research. The combination of thoughts between the teachers and Eliot created the success of the research by determining how institutionalized racism is promoted by ideas that can never be real. Moreover, Eliot reversed her psychology by telling the students that blue-eyed individuals are superior. Reverse psychology uses collars of different colors to enable the teacher and the students to identify the students with varying eye colors effectively and quickly (Bloom 5). Also, Eliot separated the student into different lunch sessions based on their eye colors. As such, the students could abuse their fellows based on eye colors. Sharing of properties amongst the students, as observed by Eliot, should get conducted based on eye colors. Notably, the parents and most American society members disputed Eliot’s move to subject white students to racial bias. The dispute generated by the Americans never considered the discrimination experienced by the black Americans in the United States of America (Bloom 15). Back Americans experienced discrimination the same way a child with an eye or inferior eye color could experience discrimination.

Most importantly, the killing of Martin Luther King Junior made Eliot determine the experiment using white Students of different colors to show the public how institutionalized racism affects the community. As such, Eliot wanted to show the students how discrimination affects the community and its adverse effects on the students and the general society. The feeling of the brutality of racism could enable the student to determine and eradicate the essence of racism based on unconstructive ideologies. As a result, the student understood discrimination and the negative consequences like fights, lack of social interaction, and inability to share the ideas affecting the general society. Therefore, the Eliot experiment deserves no criticism because she informed the teachers to help monitor and examine the discriminatory moves of the students after subjection to the racial differences based on the blue eye and brown eye (Sader 3). Also, Eliot wanted the student to feel the punch of discriminating against fellow humans and later appreciate the individual differences in terms of color, nature, and societal characteristics. Furthermore, theirEliot’s use of the press to explain her findings provides a comprehensive clarity through which an individual can easily understand the context to stop discrimination.

Virtues and Flaws in the Experiments

Virtues

The virtues explain the moral standards which the students and the society should live t avoid discrimination in terms of race4, nature, and complexity of an individual. The blue eye and brown eye experiments exhibited by Eliot have created a systematic framework through which society can learn from the negative effect of racial discrimination. Through students’ segregate approaches, the students learned the negative consequences of segregation based on eye colors (Sader 3). Many of them could identify the importance of effective and moral treatment of their fellow regardless of their eye color characteristics. Morally, racial segregation in the united states of America adds no value to society; hence Americans should find ways of effectively eradicating institutionalized discrimination in terms of race after learning from the experiment (McGettigan 5).

Flaws of the Experiment

Eliot never informed the participants of the real purpose of the experiments beforehand. As such, there are chances where the students may continue with the discriminatory approaches against their fellow due to differences in eye colors (Bloom 4). Also, a student at earlier age learns quickly and tries to imitate adults and their fellow students; they feel superior. During imitation, the students may exhibit discriminatory character in their entire life.

Virtues and Flaws and their Merits of Combating Racism

Virtues in the experiment enable people to understand the importance of cohesion to eradicate the instances of racial bias and discrimination in American society. Also, the virtues will allow Americans to behave morally to avoid cases of institutionalized racism. However, every experiment has flaws (Bloom 3). Eliot never notified the participants but wanted to use them as an example to society on the need to eradicate racial bias.

Conclusion

Blue eye- Brown eye experiment by Eliot creates a discrimination example that may be triggered by ideas based on eye colors. Using and separating students into two groups based on their eye colors and subjecting them to the discriminatory statements of superiority and less superiority enabled Eliot to complete her study and effectively conclude the adverse effects of racism in society. As a result, students learned the negative impact of racism. Americans also understand the importance of equal treatment of fellow citizens regardless of physical nature and racial characteristics. Therefore, the experiment does not deserve criticism, according to my perception.

Works Cited

Bloom, Stephen G. “Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes.” Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes. University of California Press, 2021. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1525/9780520382275/html?lang=en

Bloom, Stephen G. Blue eyes, brown eyes: a cautionary tale of race and brutality. Univ of California Press, 2021.

McGettigan, Timothy. “Anti-Racism: Building a Better Tomorrow.” Available at SSRN 3671003 (2020). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3671003

Sader, Eric Allen. “The handbook of race and adult education: A resource for dialogue on racism.” (2022): 1-4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11159-022-09948-8