UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES By Group 2
UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES By: Group 2 Courtney Chaisson Danielle Dorsaneo Chris Johnson
WHAT IS CULTURE? Can anyone sum up what culture means to them in one word? We said culture is differences, customs, and beliefs. “Culture is a shared system of meaning, which includes values, beliefs, and assumptions expressed in daily interactions of individuals within a group through a definite pattern of language, behavior, customs, attitudes, and practices. ”
HOW PEOPLE VIEW CULTURE. People are usually so involved and connected to their own culture that they don’t think of why they are doing or what they are doing, only that it feels right. Most people have a hard time explaining their culture or how their actions and attitudes relate to it.
YOUR GOAL AS A TEACHER… As a teacher you need to become culturally sensitive. First, you need to understand recognize your culture, and the way you see the world. Don’t make lists of cultural traits, these lists can become generalizations, and generalizations can be stereotypes. Learn something new.
YOUR GOAL AS A TEACHER…(CONT. ) Suspend judgment. What may look wrong from your point of view may look right to someone else. Don’t take behaviors for face value, look beneath them to discover their meaning.
“IN EACH HEAD THERE IS A WORLD. ” Expanding this world means to understand people who are different from one’s self. This goes beyond celebrating differences in ethnic foods, music, and customs.
WHAT TEACHERS CAN DO… Withhold judgement. Look at things through their point of view. Gain deeper understanding. Keep an open mind. Value the differences.
EXAMPLE. When parenting practices raise questions be culturally sensitive, responsive, and build good relationship with the parent. Example: Joey is fasting for his beliefs. You notice he is fatigued. How do you respect and honor practices that seem to be incomprehensive, bad, wrong, or maybe even harmful?
The End. Reference: Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). Strategies for communicating and working with diverse families : Understanding and appreciating cultural differences. Upper Saddle river, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
- Slides: 9