Culture Where Weve Been and Where Were Going
Culture: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going By Jason Cornelius
What is culture?
Culture is…
Dr. Edward Sapir Professor of Psychology at Yale during the early 20 th century Three ideas of culture as taken from Edward Sapir: The Psychology of Culture, a Course of Lectures
Idea #1 “An ideal of individual refinement and implying a normative ascription of value-a preconception that one type of behavior is superior to another, and that certain customs are best. ” American Indian Chief
• • • Often relating to the term “a man of culture” Holds an emphasis on the selectivity of behavior that is based on tradition This idea of culture requires “cultivation” Based on familiarity with the literary or oral tradition and this familiarity is prized Often people who are thus “cultured” are considered of a different class or social status African Spiritual Man
Idea #2 “A unified or integrated conception of culture, emphasizing its complex of ideas, its sense of the larger values of life, and its definition of the ideal. ” 16 th Century Bible
• Example: the Greek ideal of calmness and the perfect, static image • Comes from the German “Kultur” • The “geist” or spirit of the people • Still a selective or evaluating use of the term but applied to larger groups • Belongs to a whole people and includes the notion of how humans are separate from the animal world or “primitive” humans Modern American Home Traditional Korean Home
Idea #3 Modern Chinese Family “Those aspects of life that are socially inherited, as contrasted with those types of behavior that are biologically inherited and with those that represent individual reactions lacking historical continuity. ”
• Includes the complex whole of knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities acquired by man as a member of a society Communist Protestor
Questions • How do each of these notions of culture relate to us individually? • How do or have American public libraries supported each of these notions of culture? • Is one notion more appropriate for the library?
Cultural Differences
Diversity
American Research Library Association (ARL) definition of diversity “Those human qualities or characteristics that make people different, unique, the same, and similar. These distinctions are not limited to racial or ethnic diversity. ” Differences include: • Race • Ethnicity • Gender • Language • Personality • Customs • Physical abilities • Education • Learning styles • Sexual orientation • Etc.
Human beings are complex “When people begin talking about their religious beliefs, their talents, their background, their health, their sexual orientation, their family, and their age, we begin to sense how complex it is to be a human being. None of us belongs only to one group, or even two or three. And while it may seem that in this time and place the most important thing about us is that we belong to this group or that, in other times and places this will almost certainly not be the case. ” Krizia Jennings: ARL Diversity and Minority Recruitment Program Director, 1996
Diversity • We are all part of diverse groups • This country is made up entirely of immigrants • Lack of acceptance not necessarily racism but rather a lack of understanding • Road to acceptance is a challenge • Can be costly ($) to acknowledge • In the library acceptance is a matter of service • Can add to the depth of a society and to a society’s perspective Latino Man
Questions • In what ways are we all diverse? • How can acknowledging this aid our understanding of others? • Does understanding diversity lead to acceptance of differences?
Culture from a Service Perspective
The Reference Interview “One of the most complex acts of human communication because one person tries to describe for another person not something he knows, but rather something he does not know. ” Karen Moss, 1979
Robert Grover’s model of Diagnosing Instructional Needs of Diverse Learners • Diagnosis: consideration of information need and learners needs Diagnosis Prescription • Prescription: determination of library resources which could be of use • Treatment: connection of information seeker with relevant resources Evaluation Treatment • Evaluation: assessment of the service process in the light of the information seeker’s satisfaction
Christopher C. Brown Librarian at Penrose Library, University of Denver Barriers to Effective Reference Services as taken from Reference Services to the International Adult Learner: Understanding the Barriers
Barriers • Language • Culture • Technology Inuit Child
Language Barriers Accent: • Becomes a barrier if either the librarian or the user has trouble understanding • Do not raise your voice but speak clearly and enunciate words Lexicon: • English language has vast selection of words • Learners of English as a second language often only use a vocabulary of 2, 000 words • Strive for less complexity in our word choices
Language Barriers Syntax: • Also known as grammar • Long sentences with complex phrases and dependent clauses often confusing to learners of English as a second language • Some come from cultures where it is not polite to disagree so library users may not tell you if they don’t understand Sociolinguistics: • Study of language in their social setting • Sharing a language doesn’t mean sharing ideologies • Focus on the person at hand
Language Barriers Language as Nationalism: • A reference librarian should be aware of potential rivalries between cultural groups • Either be well informed concerning politics or stay out of such conversations Arab Man
Cultural Barriers General Cultural Barriers: • Need for personal space • High context vs. Low context communication styles • Indirect communication • Formality vs. Informality Library Specific Barriers: • Open vs. Closed stacks • Little experience in libraries of any sort • Lack of desire to turn to reference librarians for help • Copyright • International’s relationship with library staff • Distrust because of their own cultural biases or experiences
Technological Barriers • Technology is changing at an often alarming rate • Information seekers from developing countries not necessarily more challenged than those of developed • Library information classes or seminars which can be tailored to local needs are often a solution to this problem • An evaluation of the information needs and abilities of an information seeker is always a useful start
Questions • How can we best be of service to people of diverse backgrounds? • What types of programs can be constructed to best serve a cultural diverse community? • Where can be turn for assistance when dealing with diversity?
The End
- Slides: 29