`The idea of cultural discourse involves all the components which affect the development of the whole child. Language, beliefs, values, and ways of acting all impact an individual’s placement in the world. All these factors play an important role in a person’s literacy- how he or she interacts with his or her world.
It is fascinating how differing localities can produce such a range of cultural differences. Regions, dialects, and population size will produce individual traits within a culture. Likewise, jobs and careers will produce a social discourse which may be shared within families and communities. There is an understood way of interacting within one’s own community.
As a child becomes who he or she is expected to be within the community, he or she adopts or assumes certain roles. Their performance in school is controlled to a degree by these expectations and common values. While this control is a powerful influence, I do believe it is possible to assist children in developing an alternate discourse. With exposure to different experiences, one can learn to exist between two different cultures.
Currently, I teach at a rural school, much like the one I attended as a child. Many of the children participate in community events but may not have had experiences beyond their community. The dialect spoken reflects a need to express basic needs and wants. Students have learned to exist in a single culture with a common dialect. As a result, their writing reflects local values and experiences. Often during parent/teacher conferences, parents will excuse their child’s performance, assuming that their shortcomings are a direct result of their own academic struggles. Comments such as, “He gets that from me” or “Well, I wasn’t good at math either” reflect limited expectations. Children often internalize these expectations and live up to them. Many of these parents work at blue collar jobs or are unemployed.
While these outside influences do affect a child internally, I believe teachers can bridge the gap by creating global awareness. Children need to know that there is a world beyond their community. By doing this, we are not conveying that their world is not acceptable; rather, we are making them aware of additional opportunities. Once they are exposed to other possibilities, they will begin to create the ability to coexist between the two.
We cannot ignore the cultural histories of our students. On the contrary, we must embrace them and invite them to share their cultural literacies with us in order for us to expand our own. Before we can be great educators, we must take steps to understand our children’s backgrounds and create a safe atmosphere in which they can grow. We must not perceive what they bring to literacy as insufficient, but we must recognize it and validate it. “An explicitly political activism is required if the discourse that create ‘knowers’ and ‘knowings’ are to be altered.” (Hicks 30)
Holly Lawson
Comments (6)
You are so right! I have sat at parent-conferences and heard the same comments and you are right it is up to us as educators to ensure that our students have experiences outside of their community. Our parents are "stuck" within their jobs and they are doing all they know to do, but it does do more harm (educational) than good. As you stated the expectations are limited for our students based on parent reflections. This reminds me of a project I have to do in the fall for my Children's Lit. class. We will be doing a Let's Hold Hand project with China. Our students will be making a book about their community and a doll about themselves and hopefully we will recieve the same in return. Our children need to be aware of their world not just where they come from. There are so many opportunities and without the global awareness how will they ever know what's beyond their small town?
The chapters stated that we must know the literacies of our students to understand what they are bringing in the classroom and I agree. You made a great point...We must not perceive what they bring to literacy as insufficient, but we must recognize it and validate it. I think every educator should hear this statement and value what our students bring with them, not focus on what they don't bring with them. It's like that old saying, is the glass half-full or half empty? I think after reading these two chapters I would have to say the glass is half-full...half-full of cultural literacies such as beliefs, values, language, and ways of acting.
Posted by Karin Scott | June 22, 2011 11:36 AM
Posted on June 22, 2011 11:36
Yes, ignoring our students and there cultural background can be a create a bad situation. I still say our culture is not based always on color but many times on environment. I reckon that I'm bout as bad as anybody bout lapsing into my home language when I'm at home. If I had my druthers I would probly talk like this awl the time. I've been talkin like this since I was knee high to a grasshopper and I can't ferget it no matter how hard I try. When I try to talk proper and all people say I'm too big fer my britches and I reckon that's right. The only way I overcame some of this way of talking and thinking was through meeting and listening to others and reading multicultural books. I don't believe we should ever correct a student if they use their born dialect but we can teach by example.It doesn't work all the time. Some kids just want to be who they are all the time and aren't motivated to become a hybrid or culturally literate. These kids come from small communities and never leave but we can try to introduce them to other ways. They just need to be more open minded. I know some people that would rather shoot you than to open the mind and they are my neighbors.
Posted by candace kee | June 22, 2011 3:14 PM
Posted on June 22, 2011 15:14
I agree that it is our job as teachers to provide our students with experiences outside of the class to help our students make connections. They do need to know there is a world outside of their communities and learn how they themselves can bridge the two. We must be aware of our childrens cultural histories. We have to put ourselves into their communities and show we are interested. Students will then open up and share. Once the teacher understands then we can bring sufficiant instruction to literacy process. As you stated I too believe we can help children find an alternate discourse.
Posted by Kara S | June 22, 2011 5:57 PM
Posted on June 22, 2011 17:57
Holly,
I like the point you make at the end of your post about how crucial it is for educators to view what children bring to their school setting as worthy and not insufficient. I think back over my career and can picture quite a few little faces that I have thought weren't bringing much to the table in terms of literacy. I now realize that I was viewing literacy as ONLY the reading and writing, and not even considering the rich cultural aspects these children had to offer. After participating in this class, I REALLY hope that I do a better job of recognizing the cultural aspects of literacy and learning. Otherwise, I will be doing children a great disservice!
Posted by Leslie Rothenberger | June 22, 2011 8:47 PM
Posted on June 22, 2011 20:47
Holly,
I really like how you pointed out that we should show our students that their are new experiences and opportunities outside of their communities. Like you said, we don't need or want to make children think that their communities are subpar, but it is our responsibility to expose them to what's out there in the world. These children can develop a hybrid of their rural hometown and the wider world surrounding them.
Posted by Andrea Schlobohm | June 22, 2011 9:58 PM
Posted on June 22, 2011 21:58
Your point about the tension between local and global cultures is spot on. Yes, we do want to honor local culture but we do not want people to be limited by their own culture -- that is, not realize that there is a larger world "out there." Great critique!
Posted by Dr. Jackson | June 23, 2011 9:58 AM
Posted on June 23, 2011 09:58