All of us are a part of many different cultures. The deepest cultures we belong to - the ones that shape our perceptions and responses drive how we engage in the world and with those around us. Culture is learned, shared and interrelated. It is not innate and it is not static - rather culture is a shared system of meaning and one that often defines boundaries and ties groups together.
Amy Chua in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother seeks to highlight the cultural differences in child-rearing between Chinese (and as Chua notes other non-western) and Western parents. The book led me to think about my own upbringing and how the beliefs and values that I hold have and do guide my actions. It left me reflecting in particular on my interactions with students and participants in the trainings and classes that I teach.
Cross-cultural communication is complex, and it is important to think about how we do it, as we engage with students or participants from different cultures. For those adjusting to a new culture or environment, the feeling of being judged or ridiculed can often hinder engagement and lead them to be ashamed of or reject their culture. Tan (1987) captures this precisely as she speaks about wanting to fit in and reject the things that would be perceived negatively by those from the dominant culture that her family was now in. As an educator, it is important to be sensitive to and aware of such factors, and be cognizant of the fact that students may be struggling with issues of culture and identity even as they sit in the classroom. It is my job to have an awareness of my own cultural lens, an awareness of the dynamics between those present and the ability to step back and try to see things through each of their eyes. Each time I step into a new group I hope to have this awareness guide my interactions and enable me to learn together with my students.
Chua, A. (2011). Battle hymn of the tiger mother. Penguin Books.
Tan, A. (1987). Fish cheeks. Retrieved from: http://www.whsd.k12.pa.us/userfiles/1751/classes/12208/fish-cheeks-ws.pdf
Amy Chua in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother seeks to highlight the cultural differences in child-rearing between Chinese (and as Chua notes other non-western) and Western parents. The book led me to think about my own upbringing and how the beliefs and values that I hold have and do guide my actions. It left me reflecting in particular on my interactions with students and participants in the trainings and classes that I teach.
Cross-cultural communication is complex, and it is important to think about how we do it, as we engage with students or participants from different cultures. For those adjusting to a new culture or environment, the feeling of being judged or ridiculed can often hinder engagement and lead them to be ashamed of or reject their culture. Tan (1987) captures this precisely as she speaks about wanting to fit in and reject the things that would be perceived negatively by those from the dominant culture that her family was now in. As an educator, it is important to be sensitive to and aware of such factors, and be cognizant of the fact that students may be struggling with issues of culture and identity even as they sit in the classroom. It is my job to have an awareness of my own cultural lens, an awareness of the dynamics between those present and the ability to step back and try to see things through each of their eyes. Each time I step into a new group I hope to have this awareness guide my interactions and enable me to learn together with my students.
Chua, A. (2011). Battle hymn of the tiger mother. Penguin Books.
Tan, A. (1987). Fish cheeks. Retrieved from: http://www.whsd.k12.pa.us/userfiles/1751/classes/12208/fish-cheeks-ws.pdf