Objective: To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people

Culture and Learning Goals

CULTURE: The values, traditions, worldview, and social and political relationships that are created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a common history, geographic location, language, social class, and/or religion.

(adapted from Sonia Nieto)

1. Culture is a dynamic, constantly changing process that is shaped by political, social and economic conditions.

2. People share a myriad of different group identities based on a complex interaction of factors including racial identity, ethnicity, language, gender, socio-economic status (class), age, physical ability, religion, political ideology, interests and experiences.

3. Although general knowledge of the cultures represented in our classrooms is useful, authentic cultural knowledge is gained one student at a time.

Eugene García

What Culture IsWhat Culture Is

Dynamic, neither fixed nor staticDynamic, neither fixed nor static A continuous and cumulative process Learned and shared by a people Behavior and values exhibited by a people Symbolically represented through language

and interactions That which guides people in their thinking,

feeling and acting

What Culture Is NotWhat Culture Is NotMere artifacts of material used by a peopleMere artifacts of material used by a people

A ‘laundry list’ of traits and facts Biological traits such as race The idealized and romantic heritage of a

people as seen with music, holidays, etc. Higher class status derived from a know-

ledge of the arts, manners, literature, etc. Something to be bought, sold, or passed out

Culture Exists on 3 LevelsCulture Exists on 3 Levels

The Symbolic: The Symbolic: Our values and beliefs

The Behavioral: What we do and how we communicate

The Concrete: Artifacts, music, foods, and artistic works

What is done?

What is good/best?

What is true?

What is real?

Behavior

Values

Beliefs

World View

““Perceptions Perceptions depend on depend on our life our life experiences experiences and cultural and cultural orientation.”orientation.”

Ha! And you were worried they wouldn’t like Americans…Why, these people just lit up when I explained we were Virginians!

Adapted from J.A.Banks, Multiethnic Education: Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1988), p. 79.Adapted from J.A.Banks, Multiethnic Education: Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1988), p. 79.

THE INDIVIDUAL

Social Class

Religion

Physical Differences

Race/Ethnic Group

Nationality

Sexual Orientation

GenderGeographic Region

Age

These group affiliations provide you with your sense of identity and a certain security in the world.

When they become dangerous and damaging to others, is when they become discriminatory.

Racism

Sexism

Class-ism

Age-ism

Able-ism

Heterosexism

To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people

Culture and Learning Goals

To examine some of the obstacles that culturally diverse students face in schools

Adapted from J.A.Banks, Multiethnic Education: Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1988), p. 79.Adapted from J.A.Banks, Multiethnic Education: Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1988), p. 79.

THE INDIVIDUAL

Social Class

Religion

Physical Differences

Race/Ethnic Group

Nationality

Sexual Orientation

GenderGeographic Region Age

How can these group identifiers be obstacles that culturally diverse students face in schools?

To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people

Culture and Learning Goals

To examine some of the obstacles that culturally diverse students face in schools

To reflect on how the instructional decisions you make are guided by your perspectives about who you are, who your students are, and how to best facilitate learning

Write a paragraph on some area Write a paragraph on some area of cultural discrimination that of cultural discrimination that you have observed you have observed operating in operating in schools.schools.

Identify your own cultural Identify your own cultural orientation.orientation.Nationality…

Age…

Ethnicity…

Economic status…

Gender…

Race…

Other…

Urban-suburban-rural…

Geographic region…

To explore and clarify what culture is and what it means to different people

Culture and Learning Goals

To examine some of the obstacles that culturally diverse students face in schools

To reflect on how the instructional decisions you make are guided by your perspectives about who you are, who your students are, and how to best facilitate learning

To examine how your own beliefs and practices are shaped by your socio-cultural context

Where Are You From?Where Are You From?

Interdisciplinary concepts of Interdisciplinary concepts of culture include:culture include:

Culture, ethnicity and related concepts: Culture, ethnicity and related concepts: culture, ethnic group, ethnic diversity, culture, ethnic group, ethnic diversity, minoritiesminorities

Socialization and related concepts: Socialization and related concepts: prejudice, discrimination, racism, valuesprejudice, discrimination, racism, values

Intercultural communication and related Intercultural communication and related concepts: intercultural communication, concepts: intercultural communication, perceptionperception

Power and relations and related concepts: Power and relations and related concepts: power, protest and resistancepower, protest and resistance

Migration and immigrationMigration and immigration

Culture, ethnicity and related Culture, ethnicity and related conceptsconcepts

Macrocultural group> microcultural Macrocultural group> microcultural group>ethnic group>ethnic minoritygroup>ethnic group>ethnic minority• Macroculture: US cultureMacroculture: US culture• Microcultures, smaller groups within the Microcultures, smaller groups within the

macroculture:macroculture: Appalachian culture, Southern culture, Appalachian culture, Southern culture,

Western cultureWestern culture gay culture (voluntary group)gay culture (voluntary group) various ethnic groupsvarious ethnic groups

Ethnic group: Ethnic group: • Anglo-Saxon, Italian Americans, Mexican-Anglo-Saxon, Italian Americans, Mexican-

AmericanAmerican involuntary microcultural groups with which involuntary microcultural groups with which

individuals may or may not identifyindividuals may or may not identify group has a historic origin, shared heritage and group has a historic origin, shared heritage and

ancestral traditionancestral tradition members (may) share orientation, values, members (may) share orientation, values,

behavioral patterns, and often political and behavioral patterns, and often political and economic interests;economic interests;

• individuals may be members of many different individuals may be members of many different groups: religious kinship (association, relationship), groups: religious kinship (association, relationship), economic groups economic groups

Ethnic identification or ethnicity may not be Ethnic identification or ethnicity may not be important to highly assimilated or upper socio-important to highly assimilated or upper socio-economic class memberseconomic class members

Ethnic minority group: Ethnic minority group: • People of color--African Americans, People of color--African Americans,

Vietnamese Americans, HispanicsVietnamese Americans, Hispanics• Distinguished on the basis of religious Distinguished on the basis of religious

characteristics: Muslims, Jewish Americanscharacteristics: Muslims, Jewish Americans involuntary microcultural groups with a historic involuntary microcultural groups with a historic

origin, heritage and ancestral tradition; shared origin, heritage and ancestral tradition; shared orientation, values, behavioral patterns, and often orientation, values, behavioral patterns, and often political and economic interests;political and economic interests;

minority in number, and political and economic minority in number, and political and economic power power

Ethnic diversity vs. cultural assimilation Ethnic diversity vs. cultural assimilation (melting pot--true assimilation)(melting pot--true assimilation)• The mainstream culture and ethnic minority groups The mainstream culture and ethnic minority groups

incorporate concepts from each culture and are incorporate concepts from each culture and are transformed as they interact;transformed as they interact;

• Ethnic individuals may be bicultural, especially Ethnic individuals may be bicultural, especially members in ethnic minorities;members in ethnic minorities;

• Upper social classes and upwardly mobile member are Upper social classes and upwardly mobile member are less ethnic than lower-class members, i.e., they tend less ethnic than lower-class members, i.e., they tend to conform to the dominant culture’s norms and to conform to the dominant culture’s norms and language;language;

• Acceptance to upper classes and possibility of upward Acceptance to upper classes and possibility of upward mobility requires assimilation to the mainstream mobility requires assimilation to the mainstream culture: speech, behavior, valuesculture: speech, behavior, values

• Mainstream culture has the economic and socio-Mainstream culture has the economic and socio-political power and control of institutions political power and control of institutions

Goal: ethnic diversity and acculturation, not Goal: ethnic diversity and acculturation, not assimilation, encapsulation.assimilation, encapsulation.

Schools should help release students from cultural Schools should help release students from cultural and ethnic encapsulation and participate of ethnic and ethnic encapsulation and participate of ethnic

diversitydiversity Cultural assimilation: Cultural assimilation:

• process by which an individual or group acquires process by which an individual or group acquires the cultural traits of a different ethnic or cultural the cultural traits of a different ethnic or cultural group, mainly for social mobilitygroup, mainly for social mobility

• culturally assimilated groups, especially color culturally assimilated groups, especially color groups, may still be victims of discrimination;groups, may still be victims of discrimination;

• Types: Types: voluntary –need of upward mobilityvoluntary –need of upward mobility involuntary –forced assimilation such native involuntary –forced assimilation such native

migrants (native Americans) or forced immigrants migrants (native Americans) or forced immigrants (African Americans) who were forcedly integrated to (African Americans) who were forcedly integrated to the mainstream culturethe mainstream culture

Acculturation: Acculturation: • process by which the mainstream culture process by which the mainstream culture

incorporates components of ethnic minority incorporates components of ethnic minority cultures: ethnic foods, artifactscultures: ethnic foods, artifacts

Cultural encapsulation:Cultural encapsulation:• process by which ethnic minority groups form process by which ethnic minority groups form

cultural enclaves;cultural enclaves;• Reverse cultural encapsulation: ethnic minority Reverse cultural encapsulation: ethnic minority

groups, in order to attain social and economic groups, in order to attain social and economic mobility, are usually forced out of their ethnic mobility, are usually forced out of their ethnic encapsulation—e.g. youths of color tend to encapsulation—e.g. youths of color tend to devaluate their ethnic cultures to gain acceptance devaluate their ethnic cultures to gain acceptance from peers;from peers;

• Mainstream culture groups show strong forms of Mainstream culture groups show strong forms of encapsulation as they deny cultural values of other encapsulation as they deny cultural values of other groups;groups;

Intercultural communication Intercultural communication and related conceptsand related concepts

The wider the differences in cultures or The wider the differences in cultures or microcultures between individuals, the more microcultures between individuals, the more

ineffective communication is likely to be.ineffective communication is likely to be.

Communication often fails across cultures Communication often fails across cultures because the message producer and the because the message producer and the

receiver have few shared symbols and have receiver have few shared symbols and have been socialized within environments in which been socialized within environments in which the same symbols are interpreted differently.the same symbols are interpreted differently.

Intercultural communication and Intercultural communication and related conceptsrelated concepts

Perception: Perception: • ““process by which people select, organize, process by which people select, organize,

and interpret sensory stimulation into a and interpret sensory stimulation into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world” meaningful and coherent picture of the world” (Berelson & Steiner, 1964)(Berelson & Steiner, 1964)

• Factors that may influence perception:Factors that may influence perception: level of identification with a group,level of identification with a group, culture, ethnicity, and race are strong factors in The culture, ethnicity, and race are strong factors in The

United States, a country characterized by inequality, United States, a country characterized by inequality, high levels of ethnic discrimination and stratification high levels of ethnic discrimination and stratification along racial, social class, and ethnic linesalong racial, social class, and ethnic lines

Power and related conceptsPower and related concepts Struggle for power among competing groups (Anglo Struggle for power among competing groups (Anglo

Saxon Protestants) has played a considerable role Saxon Protestants) has played a considerable role in shaping American historyin shaping American history

Almost every decision is made by those in power to Almost every decision is made by those in power to enhance, legitimize and reinforce their powerenhance, legitimize and reinforce their power

People in power make socio-political and economic People in power make socio-political and economic decisions, laws, and determine which traits and decisions, laws, and determine which traits and characteristics are necessary for admittance to characteristics are necessary for admittance to

society and full participationsociety and full participation

Social protest emerges within ethnic communities to Social protest emerges within ethnic communities to protest social conditions, political policies, and protest social conditions, political policies, and economic practices that attempt against their economic practices that attempt against their

integrity as humansintegrity as humans

Movement and related Movement and related conceptsconcepts

Migration: movement of natives or citizens Migration: movement of natives or citizens within the same countrywithin the same country• American Indians, Eskimos, Native Hawaiians, American Indians, Eskimos, Native Hawaiians,

AleutsAleuts• Puerto Ricans are migrants to the mainland; not Puerto Ricans are migrants to the mainland; not

considered immigrants as they became citizens considered immigrants as they became citizens with the passage of the Congressional Jones Acts of with the passage of the Congressional Jones Acts of 1917.1917.

Immigration : individuals or groups who have Immigration : individuals or groups who have settled in the US culture from a foreign settled in the US culture from a foreign country; legal, illegal, political asylum, etc.country; legal, illegal, political asylum, etc.

Important TermsImportant Terms

CultureCulture• MacrocultureMacroculture• MicrocultureMicroculture• Ethnic groupEthnic group• Ethnic minorityEthnic minority

EncapsulationEncapsulation

Assimilation: Assimilation: melting potmelting pot

Acculturation: Acculturation: salad bowlsalad bowl

MigrationMigration ImmigrationImmigration