Deconstructing Napoleon

            Today I got the chance to sit in on a History 10 class where they were discussing the French Revolution. For homework the students had to answer review questions and one of them was asked for them to highlight the central tenets of the Napoleonic code. One student answered the question by pointing out that it made all men equal, the teacher stopped the class and asked what about that statement is key. The students were able to identify with some leading that the key to this statement in that every man was equal, not every person. He then led the class in a quick discussion on gender equality, and there have been great strides made for women even though there still isn’t total equality.

            I was quite pleased to see that this teacher had taken time out of reviewing to ensure that the students understand the implications of historical events and the effects that it has on today’s society. The teacher pointed out to students why men are more likely to be hired than women based on the ideas like the assumption that women will take time off for having children. He also made students aware of the fact that our government has seen this and included paternal leave as an alternative to maternity leave.

             Helping students to become aware of the societal expectations and assumptions imbedded in our society will eventually help them to develop the ability to deconstruct our society. Most people find history boring and irrelevant, but this teacher has found a way to make sure that students understand why knowing out history is important for us today. By taking the five minutes it took for him to go over the importance of a single biased statement, this teacher is helping students to develop the ability to deconstruct human history. The students were able to learn that the assumption of Napoleon was that women were not equal to men and therefore did not deserve the same rights as men, and that these ideas have carried into our present day lives where we accept them as norms. By introducing deconstruction to the students in a way that will effect their lives directly, and may already have effected them, students may be able to deconstruct more abstract texts that they will be introduced to later in their lives.