I am very interested in the topic of culture. Unfortunately,
the class created more questions in my mind than answers. What is culture? How
do we get it? Are we born with it? Do we each have an individual culture? Is
this the same as personality? What does it mean to have our own culture? Why is
culture power?
I think this topic interests me more than any other because
it is something that I teach in my own classroom, so it is very real to me. I
define culture as everything about how you live. But I am not sure that really
covers exactly what culture is, at least not according to the authors that we
read. I am not sure I am really teaching culture correctly to my students, and
that worries me.
So, that brings me back to my first question…what is culture?
In Edward T. Hall’s selection he says that “culture is a
form of communication…culture is the study of our own lives, of our own ways of
thinking and living.” (pg. 44)
This makes culture much more personal to me and my students.
It is no longer surface culture such as languages, customs, religions, and
traditions but it becomes more personal.
Hall goes on to say that “one of the most effective ways to learn about
oneself is by taking seriously the cultures of others. It forces you to pay
attention to those details in which differentiate them from you.” (pg. 45)
Hall makes an important point here. It is just as important
for us to study other cultures so we can better understand our own. In the
process we become more knowledgeable about other cultures, but it helps us
focus on our differences and similarities and how we can relate to each other
better.
I am also interested in the idea that there is power in
different cultures. In her article The
Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children, Lisa
Delpit says that there is a culture of power. (p. 46) Of her 5 aspects of power
that she talks about the one that interested me is the 5th and last
one. “Those with power are frequently least aware of – or least willing to
acknowledge – its existence. Those with less power are often most aware of its
existence.” (p. 46)
This really struck me as incredibly true, especially when
you work with high minority, low SES populations. I see this in my own school.
I am definitely in the culture with power and many of my students are not. I
sit in parent conferences where the parents just want the students to pass and
learn. These are the parents in the culture that is not in power. Delpit
explains the difference middle class parents what their students to critically
think and the parents outside of the culture just want them to learn so they
can be successful in society. (pg. 47)There is a big difference between the
two. I often find myself asking the question of why? Why do some students and
parents get it? And others do not? Were they let in on the unfortunate secret
that is how to become part of the power culture?
So many questions. And maybe that’s the point.
Cynthia-
ReplyDeleteI've been pondering some of the same questions over the past few weeks as we study about culture. I believe relating the meaning of culture to your classroom, your students and parents, and your instruction is quite valuable. Studying and exploring multiculturalism will allow you to develop relationships with your students.
I'm left wondering how all of this impacts the curriculum. As we progress through our studies at UNT in curriculum and instruction, how does our knowledge and understanding of culture change curriculum and instruction?
Hi Cynthia,
ReplyDeleteI think your point about highlighting the personal aspects of culture is an important one. Teaching kids to recognize and understand how they personally communicate their culture and how others communicate their cultures is very valuable. I wonder if it is also worthwhile to explore the connections of these personal cultural experiences with the broader surface level aspects you mentioned. How is each individual's experience of culture different from the generalizations we are accustomed to seeing? How are they similar? What do these relationships mean?
Maybe this dual approach is a way to help develop kids' critical literacy!
Culture and defining culture can be very agonizing. I feel your pain. There are never ending questions to be asked and answers that seem so unresolved. Culture in the classroom is an important issue to address and it seems like you are very thoughtful about it in your class, which is great. I like how you brought up power being in different cultures. It is hard to tell where that power lies and the rights and wrongs of cultural power. I think understanding other people's cultures in general and not just blending in with society can benefit parents, teachers, and students.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a dangerous assumption in the latter part of your blog that middle class parents are part of the ultimate power culture, and furthermore, that they “get” how to facilitate and encourage critical thinking in their children. The middle class community of my teaching setting strives for high scores on high-stakes assessments and GPA, which is really only proof that they understand the game of “How to Get into a (fairly) Reputable University.” While my parents believe education is the medium to success, they are still essentially encouraging their students “to learn so they can be successful in society,” versus learning to be a more critical thinker. As the middle class tries to blend up toward the upper class, the lower class is trying to blend up toward the middle class. While these are diverse paradigms indeed, I think they are far more similar than different. The middle class is certainly more powerful than the lower class, but they are still just playing a game controlled by those in real power (political, economical, etc.).
ReplyDelete