Culture consists of the values, norms, and material group characteristics that make up a social group. Our culture greatly plays a role in how we associate ourselves in the world around us. My personal culture consists of many things. I have been raised in an upper-middle class, American family that is extremely conservative in their values and political views. My family is also very close and has a strong Catholic faith. These values, beliefs, etc. really help define the person I am today.
I have been raised in predominantely Caucasian areas and in suburban towns, but I believe I am a fairly cultured person. I think in order for someone to be cultured he or she must be receptive of other people's cultures. Although my high school was located in a predominantely white area, the white population at my school was the minority. Through my high school experience in high school I learned a lot about different cultures, religions, political views, and socioeconomic statuses. My involvement with Peer Mediation, in high school, also gave me a lot of insight of personal lives of people with different cultures. Through my experience I have become very accepting of other's culture and interested in learning more.
I believe it is important for teachers to be cultured. In our textbook we learned that student's cultures and experiences play a huge role in their reading. People's outside knowledge often affects their perspective on the reading at hand. If a teacher is culture, he or she is able to associate activities with the readings to people's cultures, thus making it more understandable and entertaining.
After speaking in class today I came up with a couple of questions related to culture and how it plays a part in people's reading...
How do we promote both cultural diversities (including dialect) and professionalism?
If "Practice makes perfect," then has the practice of social literacy affected professional literacy?
Is professionalism based on "White male/people principles?" Or is it that what is considered socially professional carried out more oftenly by white people?
"a fairly cultured person" - what is a fairly cultured person? is it possible to be without culture?
ReplyDeletein the first paragraph you describe things that make up your culture/cultural influences and then you move to a notion of "cultured"
"I think in order for someone to be cultured he or she must be receptive of other people's cultures." - can you be cultured if you aren't receptive? what does 'being cultured' really mean?
some questions for you: do you think cultural diversity and professionalism are at odds with each other? are social literacy and professional literacy dichotomous?
and the third question.. what do you think?? talk/write this through..