For this assignment, I asked three of my family members for their definition of culture and diversity.
Culture
Mom: Way of life’s instilments’ on us from decades ago. Reflection of who we are and what we have become accustomed to.
Brother: One’s way of life’s upbringing in religion. It also includes different foods and social beliefs.
Dad: Culture is a person’s way of life.
Diversity:
Mom: Our reaction when there is a change in our culture. How we can implement a substitution.
Brother: The explanation that different cultures explain how and why of what they believe in.
Dad: Being turned from a normal. Adapting to a different type of lifestyle.
From these answers I noticed that my mom and brother both view culture with terms of food and upbringing. As mom puts it, it is who we are. It seems to me that culture is an easier concept for individuals to define.
I noticed that no one really mentioned social norms or body languages in either definition. Language was also not mentioned. Both my mom and brother struggled with this definition.
As we have learned in this course, culture and diversity is very complex. I think that they are so closely related that people have a difficult time differentiating between them. From this assignment, and viewing my family’s own perspective on diversity and culture, it has helped me to understand why I think and feel the way I do. My family seems to understand the two and with my upbringing I have been taught to appreciate the differences. We have never been a family to exclude individuals based on race, gender or sexuality. My brother and I have been raised to treat all individuals with respect and dignity.
Alisa-
ReplyDeleteI like that your brother and your mom both associate culture with foods and family upbringing! I think that many people think that their definition of culture, if includes things like food and family practices that they understand the idea of it. As we are learning, there is so much more to culture and diversity that we often do not realize and, as early childhood educators, is so important for us to communicate to children and families.
Thanks for sharing your answers!
Katherine
I think there is certainly a gender difference in answers that I find interesting. It appears that the male figures in your life gave short and sweet answers. The female figure gave a slightly more detailed expectation. Did you find that to be true, or is it just the way you interpreted the responses? I asked only men, so I am not sure if I would have gotten similar responses.
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