From Exploring Culture to Exploring Language and Communication

In class last week (2-21-08), we began to unravel the slide show I created in an earlier post on whiteness and we were supposed to share what each group came up with relative to the specific sections of the chapter on CULTURE in the Kottak. We will complete this on Tuesday (especially looking forward to the poem created by Natalie's group!).

From our round-robin impromptu exercise--standing in a circle free associating about "Culture is__________" one by one, we learned a lot about culture with 100% participation in the class. Great teamwork and great being in the moment to make it happen. Thanks!

So ultimately you should be noticing how culture is shared, symbolic, all-encompassing, and integrated. We should be sure to explore how culture is maladaptive and make sure everyone gets that. Here's a question to begin that inquiry and the group that had this section can chime in on the blog and in class:

Is culture always helpful?
Answer: No. Cultural practices can be maladaptive in the long-term. One example is that our own culture prizes consumerism and consumption, the use of the automobile, and climate-controlled living spaces. However, the technologies used to achieve these comforts may be causing environmental damage which is detrimental to us in the long-term. (see The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard).

Some things about the modern classroom can be maladaptive in the long run. Can you think of any? Here's a quote that suggests perhaps an alternative for the classroom:

We aim for a broadened view of cultural socialization that considers its mechanisms and implications for education. Here, we follow the observations of Moll (2000): 'We are moving toward a more dynamic, processual notion: that cultural life consists of multiple voices, of unity as well as discord, including an imperfect sharing of knowledge; of intergenerational misunderstanding as well as common understandings; of developing both adaptive and maladaptive practices while discarding others—in short, of human actions that are always creative in the face of changing circumstances. . . . [I]t might be more realistic to say “that people live culturally rather than they live in culture.' (p. 330) Cultural socialization can be defined as how people learn to “live culturally.” (Italics added). From “Every Shut Eye Ain’t Sleep”: Studying How People Live Culturally by Carol D. Lee, Margaret Beale Spencer, and Vinay Harpalani in Educational Researcher, Vol. 32, No. 5, pp. 6–13

How do you think certain practices we have used between teachers and students for a long time might be maladaptive?

How has our avoidance of talking about whiteness contributed to both an adaptive and a maladaptive practice over time?

What is the role of the "teacher" (an acscribed status)?

In the second section of ANT1001 on Thu Sep 27th, we talked about the role of the teacher after someone shared that in their high school class there was a teacher who NEVER taught. This was brought up as an idea for group leadership in our discussions.

The teacher this student had made the students run discussions of assigned books and everything the entire class. Someone reacted saying "but then they are not doing their job!" I asked what is their job. The student said "to teach!"

After class I happen to seredipitously run across this on the web:

Awakener Award
for Innovative Leadership in Education
http://foundationforlearning.org/#awakeneraward


I am not a teacher, but an awakener.
-- Robert Frost


Interested in a world where teachers are awakeners? A world in which teacher is a title of honor given to someone around whom people open their eyes and see?

Many teachers already are awakeners. The work of the Foundation for Learning is to sing their praises, to foster the environments in which they emerge, and to put a spotlight on innovative teaching.

The Foundation for Learning is accepting nominations for the Awakener Award for innovative leadership in education. We are looking specifically for people whose innovations have spread beyond a single classroom, a single school, or a single school district.

Send your nominations to nominate@foundationforlearning.org or participate in the community discussions on this site.

The first recipient of the Awakener Award is Linda Inlay of River School in Napa, California, for her work on the Implicit Curriculum.