Unit 1:Culturally-Responsive Pedagogy

Before we begin Unit 1, please take a few moments to complete a short activity that was developed as part of the Diversity Activities Resource Guide and then revised by me to meet the needs of this distance learning platform. The activity uses Google Slides so that all participants can collaboratively engage in a process of identifying what they consider to be the most important dimensions of their own identity. Stereotypes are examined as participants share stories about when they were proud to be part of a particular group and when it was especially hurtful to be associated with a particular group.

Please click on the link below to begin the activity:

Circles of My Multicultural Self Activity

What is culture?

Culture has a very loose definition that includes varying elements, but most simply put, it is how we identify ourselves and our way of living.

The 5 Elements of Culture:

As I stated earlier, there are varying elements of culture. Depending on what source you view, parts of culture are categorized into different grouping. For this lesson, we will focus on the 5 elements of culture that were developed by Creative Commons License, (2010).

⌘Symbols- Representations that offer shared reactions and emotions from a particular group of people, which makes social interaction possible. It is important to note that one cultures symbols, such as objects or gestures might convey one thing, while another culture might have an entirely different meaning behind those same objects and symbols. While a shared view of these symbols can create comfort and unity between two people, it is important to note that a misunderstanding of a persons viewpoint on a symbol can lead to hostility and discomfort.

⌘Language- Language is the cornerstone of culture. This is because a shared language allows people to perform tasks, convey ideas, and build a community. When we think of language we think of spoken information, but it is important to note that this also refers to written language as well. Again, when there is a misinterpretation of what a person is trying to convey, there can easily be hostility created between two people, whereas when language is used in conjunction between two people, we see harmony, so long as both parties are being respectful towards one another.

⌘Norms- Norms are another element of culture. Cultural norms refer to the standards and expectations of behavior among individuals and groups in a particular culture. It is important to note that in our current society, actually going against cultural norms has become more and more common in certain country's. Some very common social norms that occur in many cultures include table manners, respecting elders, and being a diligent worker. Some very controversial social norms include a cultures view on gender roles, race, religion, background, socioeconomic status, sexuality, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and more. Here is yet another element that we see that varies greatly among different cultures. Perhaps the most important factor to consider when thinking about social norms is that they are constantly changing with society. The same cultures traditional social norms might be quite different from that same cultures modern social norms.

⌘Values- Values are what a particular culture has deemed good or bad, and like cultural norms, these very often change with society. Therefore, values are the desirable thoughts and beliefs that a culture expects an individual in their group to have during a certain time frame. Some common values among cultures include family values and educational values. Very often, our values are ingrained deeply and we have the misconception that everyone should hold our same values. However, just like with all elements of culture, it is important to remember that people from different cultures have diverse life styles and ways of thinking. A prime example of this is the American cultural values of hard work. If you were to ask Americans if they believe that hard work is important to everyone, the vast majority would think that this was most certainly the case, but it is simply not true. While we hold strong work values in our country, many other cultures focus more on living simple lives with more focus on spending time with family and experiencing life.

⌘Artifacts-The last element that we are going to discuss on culture is artifacts. Artifacts refer to the material objects that a culture values. In developing nations, cultures put a strong emphasis on simple artifacts like food, water, shelter, and clothing. This varies drastically from more advanced nations, where many cultures place a strong value on technologically driven artifacts like laptops, game consoles, and cell phones. Like all elements of culture, it might be difficult for one culture to grasp why another culture holds such a heavy value on a particular artifact. In fact, all of the elements that we have discussed so far can be quite confusing, even upsetting for an individual to experience. This leads us to the next section of this unit, which deals with gaining cultural competence.

What does the term "Cultural Competence" mean?

Cultural competence is the ability to communicate with, understand, and interact with people from a multitude of cultures. To effectively accomplish this skill, an individual must follow a four part, continuous cycle known as the Cultural Competence Model.

Part 1: Cultural Awareness

Cultural Awareness is the foundational level of mastering cultural competence. This is broken down into two parts; a "Me-Centered" analysis and an "Other-Centered" analysis. A "Me-Centered" view of culture means that we are aware of our own cultural values, beliefs and perceptions. In this regard, an "Other-Centered" view on culture then refers to our ability to be conscious of other peoples cultural values, beliefs and perceptions. By simply being aware of our own and others cultures, we are immediately more mindful of the fact that there are differences among people that one must consider in all aspects of life. This awareness also helps a person to make a more conscious effort to learn about there own cultures, as well as, others cultures to have a better understanding of these differences. This conscious effort then brings us to Part 2 of the Cultural Competence Model.

Part 2: Cultural Knowledge

The second part of the model is referred to as Cultural Knowledge. Cultural Knowledge is the ability to analyze how your culture is similar to and different from another persons culture by considering the five elements of culture that we discussed earlier. In knowing how your symbols, language, norms, values, and artifacts compare and contrast to someone else's culture, it becomes much simpler to be aware of misconceptions that might arise and to establish harmony in knowing what connects the two cultures. Furthermore, cultural knowledge is also about being aware of what you don't know about a persons culture. This is an important feature of cultural knowledge became it enables a person to ask meaningful questions in a respectful and appropriate way that will help you to to gain insight into someones culture, thus far building cultural knowledge.

Part 3: Cultural Sensitivity

The third part of the model is referred to as Cultural Sensitivity. Now that we understand that we must be aware of our own and others culture and that we must continue to build cultural knowledge by considering the five elements of culture, we can now delve into cultural sensitivity. When your culture differs from someone else, it is quite normal to think that a certain custom or belief is weird or unorthodox. However, we must be mindful of the fact that while a certain part of someones culture might not make sense to us, that it is a very important feature of their own lifestyle or identity. This is where we have to put ourselves in another persons shoes and think about how we would want others to respond to the elements of our own culture. It is at this point of the model where we need to learn how to be accepting and respectful to the differences that arise in other cultures. While exploring cultural sensitivity, keep in mind that we do not have to agree with or participate in that persons culture, but instead that we are simply being sensitive to their lifestyles. In doing so, we begin to practice using our cultural awareness and cultural knowledge to promote peace and coexistence among different cultures. The continuous practice of this also leads to cultural competence.

Part 4: Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence is a persons ability to adjust their thoughts and behavior towards another culture by being aware, knowledgeable, and sensitive about a cultures symbols, language, norms, values, and artifacts in order to effectively operate in a different cultural context and respectfully interact with and communicate with people from other cultures. We can use this ability to respond to another persons culture appropriately by sharing similarities and celebrating differences, or in other words, being culturally responsive!

What does the term "Cultural Responsiveness" mean?

Cultural responsiveness is how we use our cultural competence to respond positively to other cultures. Cultural Responsiveness is defined as "the ability to learn from and relate respectfully with people of your own culture as well as those from other cultures"(Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning, 2000). In our next unit, we are going to discuss how we as teachers can be culturally responsive for our students and how we can promote the development of these skills in each one of our diverse students.

Exit Ticket:

Before we move on to the next unit, reflect on the following questions in your reflection journal:

✎Have you ever judged a person based on stereotypes rather than getting to know them?

✎Now that you have learned more about cultural competence and cultural responsiveness, do you think that you responded positively or appropriately to that person on an individual level AND on a cultural level?

✎What might you do differently the next time you meet someone from a different culture for the first time?

References:

Clinician's Guide to Cultural Competency: Resources for Health Professionals: A guide to understanding the role of culture in the clinical encounter and paying particular attention to the relationship between culture, contexts and social structures. (n.d.). The Winters Group Inc. Retrieved from: https://libguides.llu.edu/c.php?g=429395&p=2929607

Creative Commons License. (2010). Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. Retrieved from: http://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/front-matter/publisher-information/

Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning. (2000).How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. National Academy Press. Washington, D.C. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/9853/chapter/10

Diversity Activities Resource Guide. (n.d). Retrieved from: https://www.uh.edu/cdi/diversity_education/resources/activities/pdf/diversity%20activities-resource-guide.pdf

Webmaster. (2014). Thumbs up or up yours, open to interpretation. Retrieved from: http://uhclthesignal.com/wordpress/2011/11/07/thumbs-up-or-up-yours-open-to-interpretation/

Now get ready for Unit 2: Theory and Practice