Insider/Outsider Debate

I wasn't really sure where I stood on the insider/outsider debate before I read the articles. I really identified strongly with Shannon in his article when he talked about being white, middle class, etc. I ask the same questions of myself that he does in the opening paragraph of his article. I wonder how I am going to be able to appreciate multiculturalism and diversity when I never struggled with anything in my life. On the one hand, I want to be able to have diverse literature in my classroom and encourage my students to share their experiences and be proud about their backgrounds and lives. On the other hand, won't I look hypocritical discussing some issues with my students that I know nothing about and can never fully understand?

After reading the other articles, I came to the conclusion that I think that only insiders should write about a particular culture. However, this posed some more questions for me. I wonder how one can truly be considered an insider. Surely there are different definitions of an insider and how can we be sure that one is correct or authentic? Secondly, what should happen if there are no insiders available to write about the culture? For example, who is qualified to write about ancient Mayan civilizations? How much exposure or research with a group is considered enough for the author to be considered an insider?

My main concern with outsiders writing about a culture is accuracy and room for interpretation or error. Bishop's article addressed the issue of gaps and accuracy when it stated that, "the father a writer's background, knowledge, and experiences are from the culture of the person or people about whom he or she is writing, the greater the necessity for the author to fill the cultural gaps, the greater the effort needed to do so, and the greater the risks of mistakes." (Bishop, 17) How can we ensure that there are little or no mistakes made while still trying to provide quality literature for our children and for ourselves? I think that the most appropriate approach is to say that insiders should write about the culture. As outsiders, we need to come to terms with the fact that we never will gain an insider's perspective on a particular culture, but we can have as much knowledge and information by reading literature written by someone who is an insider to the culture.