This article is a critical response to the Penn State sex scandal, which we articulate as part of the distinctly American culture of silence. By way of popular culture, the authors explore the relationship between a snitch and a whistleblower and then correlate it with the culture of silence in other institutions and social practices: Catholic church, US domestic policies, Sports Industrial Complex and public educational institutions, all of which contribute to or have created their own culture of silence. Finally, the authors ask that educators evaluate their own pedagogy to avoid contributing, unconsciously, to a culture of silence that would parallel Penn State.
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