2. DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE
"Cultures are the maps of meaning through which the
world is made intelligible."
Peter Jackson
Topics:
1. Definitions of Culture
2. Ethnicity or Exceptionality
3. Multicultural Bilingual
Education
4. How One Thinks About
Culture
5. Cultural Pride and Shame
3. DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE
Traditional definition – A shared set of
beliefs, traditions, values and goals that
define a group, institution or organization
4. DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE
Sociological view of culture - the words, artifacts
and symbols which interact with forms of social life
Anthropological meaning of culture - “Culture, or
civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic sense, is
that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief,
art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities
and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
- Sir Edward Tylor
Romanticist definition of culture – consumption
and leisurely activities
Cultural studies – the meaning and practices of
everyday life
5. DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE
Similarities and Differences
All definitions
of culture
include some
Description of
what people
do.
What varies
is the
construct on
and
Manifestation
of human
development
7. COMPONENTS OF CULTURE
Sub culture - A sub culture is a group of people
with a culture that sets them apart from the
larger, dominant culture to which they belong.
Counter culture - is used to describe a group of
people who are characterized by their defiance
or opposition to the dominant culture.
Dominant culture – establishes the rules,
language, behaviors, religion and social norms
for the society and maintains control of social
institutions.
8. DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE:
History
18th/19th Century Europe – Culture was an agricultural term used to describe
cultivation or improvement.
Early 19th Century Europe – Culture came to mean the improvement or
development of the individual, primarily through education.
Mid 19th Century Europe – Culture was a term used by scientists to refer to
universal human capacity.
20th Century – Culture expanded to be an anthropological term that had two
meanings:
1. human capacity to classify and represent experiences with symbols*
2. the unique ways that people living in different parts of the world
classified and represented their experiences*
*Both definitions include the ability of humans to act creatively
After World War II the term culture was adopted by different disciplines, with
each discipline uniquely defining culture.
9. ETHNICITY OR EXCEPTIONALITY
How can ethnicity can be mistaken for
exceptionality when one's own ethnic group
is viewed as setting the standard for all
others?
10. ETHNICITY
AN ETHNIC GROUP HAS IN COMMON
A historic origin.
Identity, heritage and traditions.
Value orientations.
Behavioral patterns.
Political and economic interests.
11. EXCEPTIONALITY
A group sharing a set of specific abilities or
disabilities that are especially valued.
Requiring special accommodations within a
given subculture.
A person may be considered exceptional in
one ethnic group but not in another.
12. ETHNICITY OR EXCEPTIONALITY
Examples of Differences
Among Ethnic Groups
Patterns of eye contact
Physical contact
Use of language
Ways of responding to people in positions of
authority.
13. ETHNICITY OR EXCEPTIONALITY
What one group may see as deviant or
unacceptable in their own group might be
normal and adaptive in another.
We must not mistakenly conclude that a
student has a disability or is gifted just
because he or she is different.
14. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
What are the most important aspects of multicultural and bilingual special education?
15. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Disproportional representation between
general population and special education.
Adolescents of color are more likely to be
identified with disruptive behavior disorders
than Caucasian peers.
Males living in poverty are more likely to be
identified as having a behavior disorder.
White, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic
students are under represented.
Black and American Indian overrepresented.
18. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
curricula that
provide equal
educational
opportunities to
students regardless of
their gender, social
class, ethnicity, race,
disability, or other
cultural identity
19. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Instruction that uses:
The students cultural
strengths
That involves teaching
tolerance
Appreciation of culture
Working with families
Improving language
instruction
For language-minority
students,
Improving literacy
20. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Assessment that
honors the
student’s cultural
heritage and does
not penalize any
student
21. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Socialization to multicultural norms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSPjQsmMqhk&feature=player_embedded
23. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Multiculturalism is a very important aspect to the
human experience and the advancement of our
societies.
24. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Diversity Like Nature
The landscape of Earth is an intricate
mix of shapes, forms, and colors each with
its own identity and spirit, separate, and
yet a
piece of a whole.
The land we live in probably best reflects
this notion.
The landscape of the United States, a quilt
woven of dramatically different terrains, is
populated by people equally as unique and
diverse.
Glancing over the entire country from the
Pacific to the Atlantic, you see many
different environments coexisting: warm
deserts, snowcapped mountains, golden
plains, green valleys, lush marshlands,
sandy beaches, and bustling cities.
All are different, yet one: the United
States. No less than its geography, the
people who inhabit the United States also
exemplify nature’s diversity
(De Melendez & Beck, 2007, p. 4).
25. MULTICULTURAL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Effective multicultural
education allows all
students pride in their
own cultures,
understanding and
appreciation of
different cultures, and
ensures equal
educational
opportunities for all
students, regardless of
cultural background.
27. HOW ONE THINKS ABOUT CULTURE
We Are All Emigrants
Contemporary theory
traces the ancestry of
mankind to the African
continent (National
Geographic, 2003).
Through DNA we have
been able to trace the
beginnings of mankind to a
tribe in Africa, whose
genetic code is most
similar to the earliest
human remains that we JOURNEY OF MAN tells the remarkable
have discovered (National
Geographic, 2003). story of the human journey out of Africa
Based on the biological, and into the rest of the world, tracing
anthropological and history through evidence uncovered in the
archeological evidence it is Y-chromosome of man’s DNA. Traversing
safe to posit that mankind six continents, the film takes viewers on a
began on the content we
now call African. From fascinating journey into the hidden world of
there, the human race their ancestry and offers a modern look at
dispersed throughout the our ancestor’s lives(National Geographic,
world. 2003).
28. HOW ONE THINKS ABOUT CULTURE
Civilization brought about city
states to govern the people
and lands occupied by
human migration.
Claims of ownership to the
inhabited lands emerged.
As man politicized the lands,
distinct culture emerged
based on several factors.
A few of these factors are
physical environment:
• religious beliefs
• communication
• technology
• political organization
29. HOW ONE THINKS ABOUT CULTURE
Once a Melting Pot Now a Salad
A unique blend of distinct flavors
A melting pot was the metaphor
use to describe the assimilation of
various emigrant groups arriving in
America from the 1800 through
the 20th Century.
Historically, public education
aimed to assimilate emigrants into
American society.
30. HOW ONE THINKS ABOUT CULTURE
How we think of
culture influences
our educational
system.
Today we celebrate
diversity and
recognize America
as part of a global
society.
31. CULTURAL PRIDE AND SHAME
African Americans are
a people rich in culture
that Includes
innovations in:
Art
Music
Religion
Sports
Technology
In February of each
year we celebrate
the accomplishments
of
African Americans
in the United States.
32. CULTURE PRIDE AND SHAME
One source of shame is
termed as “Self-Hate.”
Gang violence, drugs, and
the disproportionate number
of African American men in
the penal system is a
reflection of self-hate.
There is evidence that the
wide spread availability of
Crack Cocaine was
propagated by United State
Government agencies. If
these allegations are true, it
exposes attempted
genocide.
Cultural Shame
http://www.justice.gov/oig/speci
al/9712/ch01p1.htm
