Renad’s second episode story involved interactions with an Australian teacher at an English Learning Institute in Melbourne, Australia. Renad had been set an essay assignment and had returned it twice to the teacher for correction it; each time, on completion, the teacher delivered the copy back to Renad. During the
drafting, the teacher recognised that many students in the class who had been cheating. The teacher believed, without having undertaken a full inquiry, that everybody was cheating. Incorrectly, the teacher had concluded that Renad had also been cheating and, in front of the class, had told her not to cheat again. Renad, who was not a cheat, was deeply offended (R.12):
When I corrected it the second time she gave it to me, she told me in front of all the students, ‘Don’t cheat another time’. I was shocked because I had never cheated before. Renad was so perturbed that she neither talked nor responded to the teacher; her classmates suggested that she should disagree with her. Renad did not, as she was too polite: she held a firm religious belief that she should respect older people. Renad was unhappy for the whole weekend because the teacher had underestimated her (R.13):
But also, because of my religion, as a Muslim, we should not fight with people who are older than us and with our teachers. So, I tried to be polite and to follow my religion as well. I did not tell her anything.
The following week, the teacher, in front of the class, told Renad that she did not mean what she had said. Renad suggested that they might go outside, but the teacher refused; Renad challenged the teacher to not talk in front of the class; as a consequence, the teacher agreed to this request – a situation that pleased Renad (R.14):
I became quite angry. I threw down my pen. I told her, “Okay, tell me what you want? You want to talk in front of everyone. Okay, talk”, and suddenly she said, “Okay, let us talk outside”.
Renad and the teacher talked outside. In private Renad told her that, as a Muslim, she would not cheat. Renad then apologised to her teacher for being angry, for shouting and for throwing her pen after which her teacher performed a sincere apology. The teacher said that she regretted what she did to her and did not realise that Renad was a hard-working student. I then asked Renad, ‘How
could she know that you did not cheat and came to apologise?’ Renad responded (R.19):
I don’t know actually. She told me that she felt sad because of the way I had reacted when she called me a cheat. I told her,” I swear to God that I did not cheat”.
The teacher recognised that Renad had not cheated; she felt sad when she saw Renad’s reaction and realised that she had falsely accused her. When I then exclaimed, ‘She did not get angry when you threw the pen!’, Renad reported that the teacher had remained calm as she knew herself to be mistaken.
I then sought an answer to the question, ‘Why did you not want to talk in front of the class? That you would regain the confidence of the class? ‘Renad reported that she insisted on talking in private to avoid the teacher being embarrassed; however, Renad also wanted to maintain a right personal image of herself in front of the class: she was trying to avoid the class them to see her while she was angry.
I then asked Renad for whose ‘face’ she was most concerned: hers, or the teachers? Renad replied, ‘First of all mine; then hers’ (R.23). I then questioned whether she was more concerned with her image or that of the teacher; whether the teacher might negatively treat Renad resulting in her perhaps receiving lower grades; or was this her character?
Renad reported that it might be both reasons; that it might be different with others such as friends, but not with her parents. She said (R.25):
For sure that will be different from liking students or friends. But my parents? They raised me in the way that I have to be polite with other people especially those older than I. On the other hand, when I became angry or fed up with other people, I don’t care; I lose control.
Her response to her being polite and respectful towards teachers was related to her feelings and avoiding embarrassing confrontations; she said: ‘Yes…’ (R.27)
Because you know something, she might become angry – for example; you don’t know what she is going to tell you. She might become angry and embarrass you in front of other
people. Some people they don’t care. Some teachers, they don’t care about your feelings. What if she makes me embarrassed in front of all of them?
When Renad recounted the story to others, they suggested that the teacher was mistaken; there was an affirmation of Renad’s ethical position.
In this episode, Renad had engaged in ethical positioning: her personal and religious principles had guided her not to be rude to the teacher even when falsely accused of cheating. In this episode, Renad had engaged in ethical positioning: her personal and religious principles had guided her to not be rude to the teacher when she had been falsely accused of cheating.
Types of Harré positioning that emerged
Forced other-positioning: Power
Renad had twice given an essay assignment for correction to her teacher; on completion of that task, the teacher returned the corrected assignment. The teacher had become aware that students had been cheating; mistakenly, the teacher believed that everybody was cheating and so, she told Renad, in front of the whole class, not to cheat again. Renad was shocked as she had never cheated before: ‘She told me in front of all people and students, “Don’t cheat another time”. I was shocked because I have never cheated before’ (R.12). Renad was appalled as she acted according to moral principles of goodness and worth.
The teacher had engaged in forced other-positioning: she had exerted her power over Renad in a rash and thoughtless way by accusing her of cheating; the teacher had behaved in an intimidating manner.
Deliberative self-positioning: Forced intent
Renad had a friend of ten-years standing who often made mistakes and then spent much time apologising for them. The last time they disagreed Renad was appalled as she acted according to moral principles of goodness and worth.
The teacher had engaged in forced other-positioning: she had exerted her power over Renad in a rash and thoughtless way by accusing her of cheating; the teacher had behaved in an intimidating manner. A disagreement Renad, out of frustration, told her that they are not going to talk anymore, ‘I didn’t care and I told her, “It’s over” (R.26). Renad had engaged in deliberative self-positioning to protect herself from unwanted involvement: she broke off the friendship – a decision in which she exerted forced intent.
Emergent New Socio-cultural positioning
Moral and repair positioning
In this episode, Renad had engaged in good, moral socio-cultural positioning. She sought to maintain a positive personal self-image in front of the class: ‘I wanted my picture to be the good girl, like the calm woman. I didn’t want them to see me when I was angry’ (R.22). To do this Renad ensured that she discussed sensitive issues in private. This situation also applied in her dealings with her teacher where Renad gave priority to protecting her image: ‘First of all, mine, then hers’ (R.23).
Renad showed moral strength in the discussion that ensued when the teacher apologised to Renad for forcing the situation that led her to become angry and hence throwing down her pen; as a consequence, this led to the teacher discussing the issue outside the classroom. Renad had feared that her fellow students might misjudge her motives; the teacher, realising this was the situation, agreed to discuss the matter in private. Renad told the teacher that she was not a cheater and, as a Muslim, she would not do that.
This moral strength was displayed in the discussion that ensued when the teacher apologised to Renad for forcing the position that led her to becoming angry, throwing down her pen and forcing the teacher to discuss the issue outside the classroom. Renad’s fear had been that her fellow students might misjudge her motives; the teacher, realising this was the situation, agreed to discuss the matter
in private. Renad told her that she is not a cheater and as a Muslim she would not do that (R.15):
She was like apologising to me that she made a mistake. And I also told her that, “I am not a cheater. My religion does not allow me to cheat”.
Renad also apologised to her teacher for her shouting and throwing down of the pen: ‘I apologised to her as well because I shouted at her a little bit because she made me angry’ (R.16).
The teacher had realised her mistake and apologised, and Renad had asserted a high moral position of goodness and worth. Both Renad and the teacher had engaged in repair positioning to redress the mistaken apprehension that cheating had occurred.
Redemptive positioning
Ultimately, the teacher performed a sincere apology to Renad: ‘She said, “I am sorry” (R.17). The teacher had expressed regret over the incident: ‘She said “I regret I have done that to you, I did not know that you are very hard working” ‘(R.18). The teacher had engaged in redemptive positioning to seek redemption of a wrong that she had done to Renad.
Moral and ethical positioning
Later, I had inquired about Renad’s motives concerning the teacher and the cheating incident: was it concern over a possible loss of marks, or had it been her character? Renad had replied, ‘Maybe both’, (R.24). Renad had joined in moral positioning as she said sorry to her teacher because she was self-confident and morally aware. She held to her ethical principle of remaining calm, being polite, respecting teachers and elders and following Islamic teachings: (R.13):
Because of my religion, as a Muslim, we should not fight with people who are older than us and with our teachers. So, I tried to be polite and to follow my religion as well.
Renad was unhappy about having being underestimated by her teacher; she spent the weekend upset out of suppression and disappointment.
Renad had engaged in moral and ethical positioning; her Islamic and personal values stopped her from acting impolitely. Renad’s parents had instilled in her the importance of respecting people; Renad had shown herself to be a moral and ethical woman who had been careful to maintain a sound image in front of her teacher and classmates. This positioning had led to the redemptive positioning of both Renad and her teacher.