diversitytraining2017

Monday, August 28, 2017

Culture refers to the TOTAL WAY OF LIFE of a people; it consists of a people's beliefs...institutions...practices...products. Culture is the man-made part of the environment. (material & non-material)

Culture is "the glasses" through which you interpret your experiences in the world and then respond to them.

Language & Culture:
emotions and culture

Prescriptive versus Vernacular language: language and culture are dynamic systems which are intrinsically connected. Culture is infused into language, and language is a powerful medium for the expression of culture. For This reason, when someone criticisms the way you speak, they are criticizing more than just your linguistic abilities.

Standard versus Non-Standard
Vernacular
"slang"

Non-Verbal Communication

Interactive distance (proxemics)
touching
orientation
gaze
gestures (kinesics)

Paralinguistics (rules for communicating)

directness/indirectness
formality/informality
loudness (pitch, tone, voice quality)
speed
length of utterance (lengthly, brief)
turn taking
how silence is used
politeness rules

Sources of Cultural Conflict

Creating a "culturally Competent Practice" as Educators

"Tolerance" versus "Competence"

Cultural competence is the capacity to work effectively with people from a variety of ethnic, cultural, political, economic and religious backgrounds.
It is being aware and respectful of the values, beliefs, traditions, customs, and parenting styles of the families of the children in our classrooms.
It is understanding that culture is not heterogenous. That there are often a wide range of differences within a group.
It is being aware of how our own culture influences how WE VIEW OTHERS

ASSUMPTIONS:

All people have personal aspirations and goals. How these may be expressed, and how important these are varies from culture to culture

All parents/cultures want their children to be healthy and happy

Happiness is defined by one's proper integration into family, society and culture

Cultural beliefs and values (WORLDVIEW) are difficult, if not impossible to change (COGNITIVE/ESSENTIAL change). One may learn how to behave and think in a new way, without changing their fundamental perspective (functional change/ACCULTURATION)

Individualism Versus Collectivism:

INDIVIDUALISM

child is an indivudual
Independence is valued
praise creates positive self-esteem
cognitive skill development is important
oral self-expression is valued
personal property is recognized
individuality must be nurtured and respected
competition and personal initiative are valued
children deserve to be respected by adults

COLLECTIVISM

child is part of a social group
interdependence is valued
criticism (creates normative behavior)
social skill development is important
listening to authority is valued
sharing is mandatory (not generous)
group identity is nurtured and respected
cooperation is valued
adults deserve respect from children

CULTURAL COMPETENCY involves the development of skills:

improving your ability to control and change your own (stereotypic) beliefs and assumptions
to think flexibly
to seek out sources of information to educate yourself about those who are different from you
to recognize that your own thinking is not the only way
SELF-AWARENESS is the first step in this process
first question is always WHY (rather than judging 'WHAT')

The Importance of Cultural Differences

Factors which influence the importance or noninterference of cultural differences:

Not ALL differences are based on CULTURAL differences

Culture is a complex system made up of INDIVIDUALS whose behaviors and beliefs vary around norms

Immigrants are more likely to express and be impacted by cultural differences

Immigrants' CHILDREN are most likely to be impacted by cultural differences since they act as buffers and go betweens between parents and the new culture

This is true in school
power relationships upturned become a source of stress
children may be embarrassed by their parents/internalize

The more stigmatized a culture, the more it will impact a child's behavior and the more we are likely to judge a child in terms of STEREOTYPIC IDEAS about the impact of their culture