culture and diversity studies

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EFP-1 CULTURE AND DIVERSITY STUDIES TASK ONE

Judah RisterStudent ID # 422014

BA Special Education (K-12) and Elementary Education (K-8)

Western Governors UniversityMentor: Alison Lowry

January [email protected]

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INTRO

The following will cover program competencies by discussing

inclusive cultural perspectives; analyzing social influences;

working through cultural differences through respect and value; and building a culturally

responsive way of life and teaching practices.

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CULTURE AND DIVERSITY

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CULTURE

Culture is a social description of a group or individual’s behaviors, ways of knowing, values, and ways of living (Bucher, 2012; Macionis, 2006). Culture may be observed through body language, passing down knowledge, raising children, daily routines, communication techniques, habits, appearance and traditions. Culture is also not easily observable and less obvious such as expectations, personal application of ethics, assumptions, personality, universal connection, perception, unwritten rules, gender roles, and many more.

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DIVERSITY

Diversity in social and cultural studies refers to difference, uniqueness, or unlikeness between and within individuals and groups (Bucher, 2012; Macionis, 2006). Diversity is used to describe tangible and observable demographics in populations such as traditions, race, education level, income and age. Diversity also describes differences in unobservable cultural traits including assumption of family and gender roles, religious beliefs, and values. Every organism has differences, but humans in particular, having complex and remarkable abilities to think and reason, have a wide array of differences; these differences can be concrete (e.g. phenotypes and genetic mutation) as well as abstract (e.g. perception, religion, and interpretation). Human diversity describes who is different and the list of diversities is as long as the list of things we consider different among us.

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FOUR ASPECTS OF DIVERSITY WHICH INFLUENCED MY

PERSONAL IDENTITY

1. Religion and Ethics

2. Devotion to Sports

3. Rural Logging Town

4. Education and SES

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RELIGION & ETHICS

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RELIGION & ETHICS

Religion – Examples of observable characteristics of culture regarding religion include: proper dress (e.g. removing hats while in a building, wearing your “Sunday-best” to religious services), gender roles and behaviors (e.g. masculine traits are for males, feminine traits are for females), and appropriate ways to act came from seeking biblical counsel rather than peer-reviewed studies and scientific research. Religion also influences how societies prioritize what is important for the well-being of the individual, families, and community as a whole. For example, for some, getting a secular college education may be discouraged because their pastors feel the bible has all the wisdom needed to ensure a good life; while other religions may heavily encourage seeking the most prestigious careers requiring doctorate degrees and, in theory, will bring them more influence to “win souls” and advance their faith.

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RELIGION & ETHICS

Religion - When driving into the rural town of Castle Rock, Washington with a population of just over 2,000, one will find large wooden signs with a list of about 15 churches; for many in my hometown religion was a valued way of life and many assumed that believing in the Christian god was very common both locally and nationally. Although the interpretation of the Christian bible is diverse in itself (e.g. multiple Christian denominations globally), the pressures to conform to elder and pastoral interpretation was evident when we discussed political issues such as LGBTQ rights, gender roles, abortion, education, corporate practices, consumerism, and our environment; all of whom tended to lean towards very conservative views. These religious expectations, values and assumptions (non-observable diversity) constructed my personal identity and thought processes.

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RURAL LOGGING TOWN

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RURAL LOGGING TOWN

Rural Logging Community-In the Pacific Northwest (PNW), specifically west of the Cascade mountain ranges, very wet and mild year-round climates provide a great opportunity for flourishing forests, full of rich green tress. While the aesthetics of these forests are valued in their stature, many others have found generational livelihood in their exploitation. Logging trucks traveling north and southbound on the I-5 corridor was an observably normal way of life for the economic well-being of residents in the rural PNW. Another observable aspect of diversity in the rural life is the dynamics of relationships within the community. For example, in a high school of just under 400 students, it’s not too difficult to memorize the names of all of your graduating class, and most of the students within the entire school. But in a school of over 3,000 students, students may not even recognize who is in their graduating class (as I learned when helping coach wrestlers at Dobson High in Mesa, Arizona).

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RURAL LOGGING TOWN

Rural Logging Community- Oregon and Washington produce more wood products than any other state in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007). Those who rely on the income from logging timberland have typically done well financially, owning nice homes and large garages and enjoy simple pleasures of strong relationships with family and friends. On the other hand, with environmental concerns causing a rise in political ecology movements, questioning the ethics of the logging industry have stirred great emotions in community members from all view points. These different perceptions are non-observable characteristics of culture that can only be conceptualized and distinguished through conversations and critical investigation.

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PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Personal Experience- My wife, daughter and I moved from a small rural community on the west coast of Washington to the fifth largest metro area in the U.S., the valley of Central Arizona. This transition is arguably one of the most extreme cultural changes one can make within the United States. These changes include: (1) My hometown in Washington is about 98% Non-Hispanic White while the Phoenix metro in 2010 contained about 46.5% Non-Hispanic White, 40.8% Hispanic/Latino, 2.8% Asian, 6.5% African American, 2.2% Native American, and 3.6% interracial (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014); (2) Relationship dynamics changed from “everybody knows everybody’s business” to the reality you couldn’t know everybody’s business if someone paid you; while rural residents may feel a sense of being closely knit with the entire community, urban residents more often come together only in self-interest groups (Macionis, 2006); (3) The west side of Washington is well known for having abundant rainfall, getting an average of more than 300 days of rain while Central Arizona is the most reliable region to catch warm sunshine all year round, typically getting less than 30 days of rain annually; and (4) My hometown’s population was at a plateau for several years while the Phoenix metro area has grown exponentially in the last couple decades, becoming a booming place for new businesses, educational institutions, housing developments and general construction.

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SOCIAL BARRIERS IN EXPERIENCING CULTURAL

DIVERSITY

Personal Experience: Business and Social Support – My wife and I both found great stable jobs after graduating high school that provided a sense of well-being, pride and generous income; these businesses were relatively young and owned by people we developed close relationships with. We found ourselves learning the jobs from the ground up and became highly trusted and respected within the businesses and community. When we decided to relocate to Arizona we found employment with corporations, in which the regional managers couldn’t even tell us who the “owners” were. Because we had no experience with urban settings and the language of corporate bureaucracy, it was quite difficult to understand why, for example, people didn’t spend more time developing deep and genuine relationships with customers; and why management did not appreciate personal expression but only seemed to care about hitting the weekly/monthly/quarterly projected profit margins.

These misunderstandings of diversity and cultural differences brought us feelings of insecurity, loneliness, and depression. Over time we found ways to support each other while we formulated a better understanding of this unique culture.

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HOW THESE EXPERIENCES DEVELOPED DIVERSITY

CONSCIOUSNESS

Personal Experience: By experiencing this “pendulum swing” in cultural differences I have grown tremendously in awareness, understanding, appreciation and sensitivity towards diversity, recognizing my tendency to go on “cultural cruise-control”; especially in business practices, personal values, and relationship dynamics. My wife and I had to compartmentalize behaviors, situations, and communications in a way that allowed us not to be personally offended (a form of transculturation), although we felt the whole executive staff was out to get us at times. Spending time with several diverse groups of people, we have found ourselves less anxious and able to enjoy a wide array of relationships that we would have never experienced in the little village of Castle Rock, Washington.

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ASPECTS OF DIVERSITY I WANT TO HAVE AWARENESS OF AS AN

EDUCATOR

1. Ethnic Traditions and Beliefs (and its diversity in the community)

2. Family Values and Social Systems

3. Influence of Socioeconomic Status (SES)

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EDUCATOR

Ethnic and Traditional Beliefs - Religion and traditions have very strong influence on how people mutually communicate, tolerate or deem acceptable behavior, and how people treat each other in private and public matters. For example, religious beliefs influence how people

treat those in positions of designated roles of authority (police-officers, teachers, pastors, rabbi, coaches, soldiers, even male to female or husband to wife). Challenging the claims, ideas and teachings of such authority may be considered ethically wrong and demeaning, while in other ethnic beliefs, questioning authority is encouraged to build critical thinking skills. Although the concept of separation of church and state is a sensitive topic, the reality is that religion is a large part of diversity consciousness and the lives of educators.

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EDUCATOR

Family Values and Social Systems – Outside of values derived by religion, families and communities develop many values which shape how students experience their academic community.

For example, when families value education, they may be more involved in their children’s homework, encourage better grades with a reward/discipline program, and/or get involved themselves through volunteering. As an educator I would like to help parents understand the implications of achieving academic excellence as well as find ways to mutually enhance the parent-child education experience within the school community.

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ASPECTS OF DIVERSITY I WANT TO HAVE AS AN EDUCATOR

Influence of Socioeconomic Status (SES) – In capitalist societies, social stratification is inevitable and unfortunately there is a negative correlation between a low socioeconomic status and several realities such as academic achievement, physical health, emotional development, highest level of complete education, incarceration rates, privilege, power, and many others (American Psychological Association, 2014; Macionis, 2006).

With so many studies done regarding implications of SES, we must do more than just consider its affects on school communities, but we must couture lesson plans and class experiences as well as build strong social support systems both within the school district (i.e. mental health exams and food programs) and community members (e.g. respected business owners, activist groups, and family-strengthening groups), which will provide students the opportunity to reach high academic achievement and personal well-being, regardless of their guardians’ annual income.

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IMPORTANT REASONS FOR CONTINUAL DIVERSITY EDUCATION

1) Understanding cultural diversity is essential to offer appropriate education regardless of one’s race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, or SES.

For example, education systems are set up in a way which depends on the effectiveness of facilitators, curriculum, and understanding multicultural diversity; of which all three are equally important in closing the achievement gap (Johnson, Diann, Gene, Donna, and Victor, 2012). If teachers and administrators do not couture and develop their students’ educational experience with cultural diversity as a motivation, one culture will benefit while many others suffer from the ineffectiveness of a culturally unresponsive, narrow and biased education (National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems, 2006).

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2) Diversity continues to grow as transportation and communication technologies increase.

The world and all it contains is always changing and evolving, regardless of opinion or preference. As Marshall McLuhan asserts, with the increase of technology and efficiency our world has become a “global village,” which implies that everyone and everything connects; local matters are globally significant (Bucher, 2012). This concept is given clarity when we consider natural resources (i.e. water, air, plants, animals, crude oil, etc.) and how some are finite and non-renewable (e.g. fossil and nuclear fuels, and mountains) while others are regenerated through nature (e.g. trees converting carbon dioxide into oxygen). While the exploitation of crude oil and utilization of coal-powered energy plants provide great services (e.g. hot showers and cold beverages), useful products such as plastics, as well as staggering short-term profits, they are equally disabling the homeostasis of this unique organism we call earth, through pollution, species disturbance and habitat destruction.

Although there are countless differences between and within nations and communities, it is important for teachers and humans in general, to continue cultural diversity education and training to bridge the gap which separates our common unity with each other and nature, by preventing simple misunderstandings, poor communication and lack of cultural awareness. With continual education and training, culturally responsive school districts will help eliminate unnecessary limitations and barriers in the achievement gap.

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3) Standardized testing has brought transparency, clarity and unity for teachers to produce high academic achievers, requiring teachers to be highly qualified in content knowledge and culturally inclusive teaching methods. The academic achievement gap starts at very early

stages of child care and development from social stratification (Harvard Education Publishing Group, 2013), and can be found between people of diverse socioeconomic status, race and cultural upbringing; but these correlations can often become a scapegoat for educators. Teach For America, an organization established in 1990 to study, recruit, train and equip teachers in becoming highly effective and has found evidence that opposes the James Coleman report of 1966, which identifies that schools are only about 10 percent responsible for academic achievement. Students are not destined according to whom and where they were born but rather high academic achievement can be found in the worst of conditions when teachers: (1) set high expectations, (2) build intimate relationships with parents and community members, (3) plan with intention, (4) monitor student progress with intensity, (5) continually reflect and change as needed, and (6) stay gritty through all obstacles (Farr, 2010). Diversity should be embraced, not ignored; diversity is an asset, not a burden.

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CONCLUSION

Culture and Diversity have greater influence on our lives than we may even be aware of, so it is important to explore the world with an open mind and an awareness of the countless ways of living, perceiving and believing that multicultural diversity provides. Not only become aware, but embrace, respect and value these differences; they are the key to creating an effective and culturally responsive education system for success of every student.

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REFERENCES (PG.1)

References

American Psychological Association (2014). Education and Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-education.aspx

Bucher, R. (2012) Diversity Consciousness: Opening our Minds to People, Cultures and

Opportunities (3rd ed). Pearson Learning Solutions: VitalBook file.

Farr, S. (2010) Teaching as Leadership: The Highly Effective Teacher’s Guide to Closing the

Achievement Gap (1st ed.) San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Grant, C., & Ladson-Billings, G. (Eds.). (1997). Dictionary of Multicultural Education.

Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.

Harvard Education Publishing Group (2013). Richard Rothstein on the many causes of the

achievement gap. Retrieved from: http://hepg.org/hel-home/richard-rothstein-on-the-

many-causes-of-the-achiev.

Johnson, J., Diann L., Gene E., Donna M., and Victor L. (2012). Foundations of American

Education: Perspectives on Education in a Changing World. (15th ed.) Pearson Learning

Solutions: VitalBook.

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REFERENCES (PG.2)

Macionis, J. (2006). Society: the basics (8th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

National Education Association (n.d.). Diversity Toolkit: Cultural Competence for Educators.

Retrieved from: http://www.nea.org/tools/30402.htm

National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (2006). Addressing Diversity in

Schools: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. Retrieved from: http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/Diversity_Brief.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau (2007). Lumber Production and Mill Stocks: 2006 (USDC MA321T(06)-1)

Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/industry/1/ma321t06.pdf.

U.S. Census Bureau (2014). State and County Quickfacts: Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved from:

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/04/0455000.html