Working with Newcomer Students and Familiesat the Child Development Center and the School

July 25, 2015

Training Outline

1. Identify all ethnicities and cultures at your center.

2. Document what you know factually about cultures/ethnicities identified.

3. Document your perceptions of those cultures/ethnicities as a group.

4. Familiarize yourself with the multi-cultural framework for caregivers and teachers.

5. Apply the multi-cultural framework to design a program that addresses the principles assigned to your group.

6. Document program design with events and measures to determine the effectiveness of the event and present to the class.

Table of Content

MULTICULTURAL FRAMEWORK FOR CAREGIVERS  

1. MOVE FROM DEFICIT MODEL TO CULTURAL PLURALISM

2. GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURE-GENERAL ELEMENTS1. IC Model

1. IC Model Culture2. IC Model Communication

2. Mainstream U.S. Values3. Your Own Values

1. MOVE FROM DEFICIT MODEL TO CULTURAL PLURALISM

DEFICIT MODEL DEFINITION◦ The original term ‘deficit model’ was coined in the 1980s by social scientists studying the public

communication of science. The purpose of the phrase was not to introduce a new mode of science communication but rather it was to characterize a widely held belief that underlies much of what is carried out in the name of such activity.

◦ There are two aspects to this belief. The first is the idea that public uncertainty and scepticism towards modern science including environmental issues and technology is caused primarily by a lack of sufficient knowledge about science and the relevant subjects. The second aspect relates to the idea that by providing the adequate information to overcome this lack of knowledge, also known as a ‘knowledge deficit’, the general public opinion will change and decide that the information provided on the environment and science as a whole is reliable and accurate.

CULTURAL PLURALISM DEFINITION◦ Cultural pluralism is a term used when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their

unique cultural identities, and their values and practices are accepted by the wider culture provided they are consistent with the laws and values of the wider society. Cultural pluralism is often confused with multiculturalism. Multiculturalism lacks the requirement of a dominant culture.

◦ One example is the United States, which has a relatively strong dominant culture which includes strong elements of nationalism, a sporting culture, and an artistic culture. In a pluralist culture, unique groups not only co-exist side by side, but also consider qualities of other groups as traits worth having in the dominant culture. A successful pluralistic society will place strong expectations of integration on its members rather than expectations of assimilation. A society that lacks a strong dominant culture can easily pass practicing cultural pluralism to multiculturalism without any intentional steps being taken by that society.

Deficit Model – 1

WHAT'S GOOD FOR CHILDREN: A MULTIETHNIC VIEW

It's good for children to receive culturally competent care that is sensitive and has a global, multiethnic view.

Culturally competent care requires that: Adults in children's lives respect each other. Adults in children's lives work to understand each other's perspectives. Caregivers and parents understand how program and family values may differ

and work together toward blending differing value systems. Adults in children's lives create ongoing dialogues. Dialogues Dialogues ensure that information exchange occurs so that good judgment can

result from the blending of shared points of view. Dialogues mean that everyone who works with children is both a teacher and a

learner. Caregivers must be willing to understand each other and to view parents as the experts who know what's good for their children.

Dialogues occur when the people in question begin by listening to each other instead of judging.

Transformative Education From respectful interactions and ongoing dialogues comes

transformative education. When we acknowledge that our experiences with one another are important, when we stretch to understand different points of view, we become transformed by each other's life experiences to a different level of knowledge and sensitive multiethnic care. That's good for children!

Deficit Model - 2

2. GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURE-GENERAL ELEMENTS

IC Model◦IC Model – Culture◦IC Model – Communication

Mainstream U.S. ValuesYour Own Values

Intercultural Communication (IC) Model

IC Model -1

IC ModelCULTURE

IC Model- 2

What is the basic function of culture?

"Culture enables us to make sense of our surroundings.""Culture makes all things easy."

"Culture reduces the chances of surprises by shielding people from the unknown."

What is culture?

"Integrated system of learned behavior patterns which are characteristic of the membersof a society and which are not the result of biological inheritance. ""A complex combination of common symbols, knowledge, folklore conventions, language, information processing patterns, rules, rituals, habits, life styles, and attitudes that link and give a common identity to a particular group of people at a particular point in time."

"The basic function of culture is to explain the world to each new inhabitant of the culture. The world is a confusing place until we can make some sense of it. Culture, by telling us what to expect, reduces confusion and helps us predict the future.“

"Culture is the deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, timing, roles, spatial relationship, concepts of the universe, and material objects acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving,"

IC Model- 3

What is culture made of?◦ Material culture (technology, economics)◦ Social institutions (social organizations, political structures)◦ Individuals and the universe (belief systems)◦ Aesthetics (graphics, plastic arts, folklore, music, drama,

dance)◦ Language

What are the characteristics of culture?◦ Culture is not innate; it is learned◦ Culture is transmissible from person to person, group to

group, and generation to generation◦ Culture is a dynamic system that changes continuously

over time◦ Culture is selective◦ The various facets of culture are interrelated◦ Culture is ethnocentric

*Adapted from Communication Between Cultures by Larry A. Samovar & Richard E. Porter

IC Model- 4

IC MODELCommunication

IC Model- 5

What is Intercultural Communication? "Intercultural communication is communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication event."

Arrangement of Compared Cultures, Co -cultures, and Subgroups along a Scale of

Minimum to Maximum Sociocultural Differences*

MAXIMUMWestern/Asian

Italian/Saudi ArabianU.S. American/Greek

U.S. American/GermanU.S. American/French-Canadian

European-American/Reservation Native American Europe an-American/African-American/Asian

American/Mexican-American/Urban Native American U.S. American/British

U.S. American/English-Canadian Urban American/Rural American 

Catholic/BaptistMale Dominance/Female Equality

MINIMUM

*Adapted from Communication Between Cultures by Larry A. Samovar & Richard E. Porter

IC Model- 6

Perception - The Elements of Intercultural Communication* 

"Perception is an internal process whereby we convert the physical energies of the world outside of us into meaningful internal experiences."

"We experience everything in the world not as it is--but only as the world comes to us thorough our sensory receptors.“

Beliefs, Values, and Attitude Systems ◦ Belief - Our convictions in the truth of something--with or without proof.◦ Values - are the evaluative components of our belief, value, and attitude systems. Evaluative

qualities include usefulness, goodness, aesthetics, need satisfaction ability, and pleasure production.

◦ Attitude - Belief and values contribute to the development and content of our attitude systems. Attitude is a learned tendency to respond in a consistent manner to a given object or orientation.

World View◦ World view is a culture's orientation towards such things as God, nature, life, death, the

universe, and other philosophical issues that are concerned with the meaning of life and with "being."

Social Organization◦ Role of institutions such as schools, clubs, family and government in shaping our perception.

Human Nature◦ Ideas about good and evil. Man vs. nature.

Activity Orientation◦ Has to do with the way a culture teaches its members to view activity.◦ "Doing" vs. "Being" cultures.

Perception of Self and Others◦ Relative importance of individual vs. group.

*Adapted from Communication Between Cultures by Larry A. Samovar & Richard E. Porter

IC Model- 7

Verbal Processes - The Elements of Intercultural Communication*  ◦ "The phrase Verbal Processes refers to two closely related activities, both involving symbols. It

refers to how we talk to each other and to the internal activities of thinking."  Verbal Language 

◦ Language is an organized, generally agreed upon, learned symbol-system used to represent the experience within a geographic or cultural community. 

◦ Meaning in language varies because all people decide what words mean to them based on their own personal backgrounds.

◦ Language serves as a guide to how a culture perceives reality. Cultures evolve different languages because their social realities are different. An important feature of this is high and low context. Each culture's unique language is best suited to describe and deal with its specific social realities.

The sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language, and no single language is capable of expressing all forms and degrees of human comprehension.

Patterns of ThoughtThe mental processes of reasoning and problem solving also influence intercultural encounters. Some examples are as follows: 

Different methods of reasoning for problem solving Korean - Use inductive method {specific observation to extracting generalizations American - Use deductive method ( moving from broad to specific)Different methods

of reasoning for problem solving

Differences in pace - Impulsive vs. Reflective U.S. American - admire a person who can make quick decisions Japanese - quick decision making is not admired

*Adapted from Communication Between Cultures by Larry A. Samovar & Richard E. Porter

IC Model- 8

Nonverbal Processes - The Elements of Intercultural Communication*

"The nonverbal communication involves all those stimuli (except verbal stimuli) within a communication setting, generated by both the individual and the individual's use of the environment, that have potential message

value for the sender or receiver." Nonverbal behavior

◦ General appearance and dress

◦ Body movements (e.g. greeting & hand gestures)

◦ Facial Expressions

◦ Eye contact and gaze

◦ Touch

◦ Smell

◦ Paralanguage Vocal characterizers (laughing, crying, yelling, moaning, whining). Vocal qualifiers (volume, pitch,

rhythm, tempo, tone). Vocal segregates ("uh-huh," "shh," "uh," "oooh," "mmmh,"" "humm").

Concept of time A culture's concept of time includes its attitude towards the past, present, and future, and the importance,

or lack of importance, it places on time.

◦ Importance of time (Eastern/U.S. American/German & Swiss)

◦ Formal vs. informal time

◦ Past, present or future orientation

◦ Monochronic vs. Polychronic Use of Space The flow and shift of distance between the people we interact with is as much a part of the communication

experience as words we exchange.

◦ Personal space

◦ Seating (opposite vs. side by side)

◦ Furniture arrangement Silence Silence sends us nonverbal cues concerning the communication situation we are in.

◦ Easterners (silence is expected) vs. Westerners (silence makes them uncomfortable).

◦ Japanese (silence is appreciated) vs. Italian (talk and noise is good sign of life).

*Adapted from Communication Between Cultures by Larry A. Samovar & Richard E. Porter IC Model- 9

Your Own Values

IC Model- 10

Resources

It is true that all Asian cultures are not alike. There is much diversity in customs, food, clothing, etc. There are, however, some values that are the hallmark of traditional Asian cultures. See a brief summary of some of those values in the table below:

Asian Cultures in -General Mainstream U.S. Culture

"Being" "Doing"

Flexible schedules Rigid schedules

Student-centered learning Passive students

Man can control nature Man cannot control nature

Equality Hierarchical

Formality Informality

Family-oriented _Individual-oriented

Feel ashamed Feel guilty

Deep friendship Social friendship

Past/Present Oriented _Future-oriented

Bibliography

•Lee, Joann Faung Jean. 1992. Asian Americans. New York: The New Press.•Sue, Derald Wing & David Sue. 1990. Counseling the Culturally Different. New York: Wiley.•Hams, Philip & Robert Moran. 1991. Managing Cultural Differences. Houston: Gulf.•Larry a. Samovar and Richard E. Porter, Communication Between Cultures (Belmont: CA:Wadsworth Publishing Company, 199I).

Resources -1

  Mainstream U.S. Culture

Co-Cultures

Rigid TimeFlexible Time

Rigid Time Flexible Time

Low ContextHigh Context

Low Context High Context

Formality

Informality

Informality Formality

Stair StepRoller Coaster

Stair Step Roller Coaster

IndividualismFamily

Orientation

Individualism Family Orientation

RECOGNIZE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES MOST IMPORTANT TO YOUR SITUTATION

A Comparison of U.S. Mainstream Culture with Co-culturesAs we can see that all co-cultures are very different in many ways. Surprisingly we compare the mainstream U.S. culture with the co-cultures, we do see some general similarities as well. Here are few of those similarities:

Resources -2

Cultural Values of U.S. Co-Cultures In general:

A Mexican American child may have difficulty in reading words that begin with two consonants.

Mexican American religious beliefs include the concept of fatalism.

Mexican American students generally prefer to work in groups rather than as individuals.

Mexican American families are patriarchal.

Nose wiggling and pointing with the lips are two forms of nonverbal communication used by Puerto Rican Americans.

Touch between teacher and student can have multiple meanings. It can facilitate learning with children of Hispanic backgrounds while alienating children from some Southeast Asian cultures.

For some African Americans, as well as students of Hispanic descent, to avoid eye contact with people of authority is a sign of respect.

Non-Standard English is a language system that has rules.

African Americans may interrupt a speaker with encouraging remarks.

Black English is not a synonym for black slang. Rather, it is a form of Standard English that has its own slang.

African Americans have a strong work orientation.

African Americans tend to be deeply religious.

Family roles and responsibilities are rather fluid and flexible in the African American family.

The Native American concept of time is significantly different from that of European Americans.

Native Americans usually prefer private rather than public recognition.

Among Native Americans, the concept of private ownership may not exist.

The concept of an extended family is central for many Native Americans,

Asians, and Hispanics.

For most Native Americans and Asians, the elderly are honored and revered.

Vietnamese children may experience problems in spelling words that end with a double consonant.

Vietnamese children have great difficulty learning to read polysyllabic words.

African American, Asian American and Mexican American parents tend to be stronger (compared to the mainstream) in disciplining their children. Resources -3