Open Collections Program - Student Dialogue

Open Collections Program > Women Working > Teachers > Soap and Settlements > "Cooking Class"

Some 8th Graders Discuss the Photograph "Cooking Class"

CLARE: Like, Rebecca was saying it looks more like a school, and—’cause there are desks, kind of, and they’re—seem like most of the people are dark-skinned. And they’re wearing, like, maid uniforms, kind of. So they’re probably learning to, like, be, like, housekeepers.

JOSIE: …Even though, like—like Zach was saying, like, it looks like their surroundings are worse, they look like they’re actually dressed nicer … nicer than the girls in the other pictures. ’Cause they’re all wearing, like, pretty white chiffon dresses….

JOSIE: They—are—um—using the same, like, stuff, like. The girl on the right, in front, who’s standing up, who has her hand out like that, she’s holding a metal, like, shaker, and it, like, um, makes it so, like, flour can be, like—
REBECCA: And others. A shifter [sic].
JOSIE: Yeah, a shifter [sic]. And then, in the other picture, of the “Housekeeping Class,” the same thing—it’s, like, right there, on the left.
There are sounds of agreement.
JOSIE: And, like, they have the same, like, looking—kind of, like, bowls.

JOSIE: Like, when people immigrated, they may still—they might—still [have] seemed, like, a little above, like, black people but, like, there wasn’t, like…people thought back then that, like, immigrants and people who are black were kind of, like, at the same level, so then, these people (learning the “Washing Lesson”) wouldn’t necessarily be at a higher level than the people in [this] picture.

These exchanges were part of the longer discussion below.
For teacher commentary and the entire context of these conversations, download the case study Using Women Working Resources in Schools.

REBECCA: It seemed like most of the people are black, and in the right—on the right, like, in this far corner—
JOSIE: It kind of looks like it might just be the sun, though.
REBECCA: Yeah, well—
TEACHER: To Josie. Let her finish, though.
REBECCA: —it seems like she’s white, I’m guessing, or, like, lighter-skinned. And then, there’s also, like, this chair, right here (in the foreground), which is, like, separate—well, I don’t know, because those aren’t very attached, but it seems like maybe that’s where, like, the instructor or, like, the supervisor is.

REBECCA: And also, it kind of seems more like a school than this one.
TEACHER: It seems more what?
CLARE: Uniforms.
REBECCA: Like school. They’re wearing, like, all the same thing, and just, like—there’s, like, a chalkboard or something, there.
ZACH: Yeah, I see that.

CLARE: Like, Rebecca was saying it looks more like a school, and—’cause there are desks, kind of, and they’re—seem like most of the people are dark-skinned. And they’re wearing, like, maid uniforms, kind of. So they’re probably learning to, like, be, like, housekeepers.
DAN: Well, they’re all, like, dressed the same—but—but we don’t know, like, if that’s, like, a maid outfit.
REBECCA: Yeah.
DAN: You know, it could be, like, what everyone wore.

CLARE: —it’s not necessarily, like—like, um, portraying that they’re inferior because they’re black, because—(in response to some inaudible teasing) okay! Well, I’m changing my mind.
TEACHER: Because—because why, Clare?
DAN: Like, they’re really—
TEACHER: To Dan. Just hang on for one second.
CLARE: Well, they’re all—in all the pictures—this … (in this picture) they all seem, like, black, when the others seemed mostly white, but they’re all learning to do, like, household—
ZACH: Yeah, but look where—look where they’re learning to do it.
CLARE: —like, household chores.
TAMIKA: Well, (in the image of the “Washing Lesson”) they’re learning to do it outside.

TAMIKA: Okay, so—well, everybody’s like, oh, like, these people are servants, or whatever, and I—I just think that, like, if it’s a while ago, like, things were, like, segregated and stuff, so I think that they might just be, like, learning the same thing, but in different places.
CLARE: Uncertainly. Yeah.
TAMIKA: Just, like—not, like, one being, like, servants, and the others just, like, maintaining their house, just, like—all of them learning the same thing, but for different—like, just being, like, separated while learning it.

JOSIE: …Even though, like—like Zach was saying, like, it looks like their surroundings are worse, they look like they’re actually dressed nicer … nicer than the girls in the other pictures. ’Cause they’re all wearing, like, pretty white chiffon dresses and, like, um—
ZACH: What’s a chiffon dress?
JOSIE: Chiffon’s, like, flowing.

JOSIE: They—are—um—using the same, like, stuff, like. The girl on the right, in front, who’s standing up, who has her hand out like that, she’s holding a metal, like, shaker, and it, like, um, makes it so, like, flour can be, like—
REBECCA: And others. A shifter [sic].
JOSIE: Yeah, a shifter [sic]. And then, in the other picture, of the “Housekeeping Class,” the same thing—it’s, like, right there, on the left.
There are sounds of agreement.
JOSIE: And, like, they have the same, like, looking—kind of, like, bowls.

JOSIE: Like, when people immigrated, they may still—they might—still [have] seemed, like, a little above, like, black people but, like, there wasn’t, like—like, um—people thought back then that, like, immigrants and people who are black were kind of, like, at the same level, so then, these people wouldn’t necessarily be at a higher level than the people in the picture.

For teacher commentary and the entire context of these conversations, download the case study Using Women Working Resources in Schools.