It’s the sociopolitical context not a culture of poverty.
Hammond is brilliant and concise in her writing on culture and the sociopolitical context. She does not hand us a how-to guide by culture or promote a simplistic interpretation of one’s values and behaviors. Hammond names one such person, Ruby Payne, who perpetuates the myth of a culture of poverty in the communities that hire her and purchase her self-published books. I believe that Hammond refers to the experience that she had in a seminar to give the reader background on ill-conceived approaches to diversity in schools.
To focus on Hammond’s awareness of culture, she outlines surface culture, shallow culture, and deep culture. We need to be cautious around surface culture interpreted as a “low emotional charge” (p. 22). I have been part of class discussions around a Muslim student’s hijab or a Sikh student’s head covering. (note DHS websitehttps://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CRCL_SikhHeadCoveringPoster_2005.pdf) In the classroom, we have age appropriate discussions to share questions and understandings. Hammond guides us in the brain’s wiring for understating cultural responses. I think we need to explore the cultural archetypes of collectivism and individualism further, so as not to “oversimplify” (p. 26). An interesting connection is in Tatum’s exploration of “familism” in Latinx communities, which represents collectivism (p. 243, see study referenced).
Schooling occurs in the sociopolitical context. (In EDGE 343, we examine institutional barriers
causing disparities in schooling.) Tatum explores disparities for Latinx people,
the fastest growing and youngest demographic in the U.S. Disparities range from
the political domain taking land from of Mexican Americans and their racial classification
to the social perception that Puerto Ricans are not U.S. citizens at birth.
These readings encourage me to examine my own biases. (word count 275)
I really appreciate the new perspectives I have been given just in the first few weeks of class. When I decided to pursue Teaching as a major, these complex ideas on how to approach a classroom never crossed my mind in such fully formed ways. And I admit, this is because my model for teaching and what a teacher should be was based on my own experiences and what I saw within the school I went to. A school where large groups of different cultures and life experiences did not exist.
ReplyDeleteNow I am being confronted with many complex, highly applicable ideas such as collectivism and individualism as well as how to navigate the complex topic of culture and how to best teach everyone in my class as well as learn a bit myself along the way.
I think seeing teaching through this new perspective, one I should have admittedly thought of before but had no frame of reference for, has made the idea even more exciting for me and has forced me to confront biases and new ways of looking at the world. (Words, 184, Christopher Derocher)
I agree with your statements about Hammond and Payne. Among the most damaging effects that Payne’s “culture of poverty” beliefs can have is to encourage teachers to have low expectations for their students. As we have learned in every education class to date, having low expectations for students deeply impacts their personal expectations, and can consequently keep them from reaching their full potential. Payne’s misguided beliefs perpetuate the idea that having low expectations for children of lower economic status is normal and even encouraged. Unfortunately, many people have bought into that idea, though its negative effects are great.
ReplyDeleteAnother damaging belief about students was brought up in Tatum’s book. She emphasizes that many educators view English language learners in a negative light. Some teachers force their students to only speak English, even in the home, which can have extremely terrible effects on students and their families (245). Furthermore, Tatum writes that “schools do not generally view languages other than English as a resource for learning,” (250). She includes accounts from students who were made fun of for being bilingual, although speaking two languages is impressive and helpful in the classroom (246). In order to make bilingual and ELL students feel more welcome in schools, the ideas surrounding bilingualism and English learning need to be analyzed and myths need to be debunked.
I really enjoyed reading your newest blog post! Before studying this topic, different cultures and culturally responsive teaching is not something I had thought about. Growing up in a very diverse community, I had not thought that there were students out there, some that I’d be teaching in the future, that did not have that same experience. Something I need to explore more of are the structural archetypes of collectivism and individualism and how they have affected my students. As part of a collectivist community myself, I must explore the roots of the individualist community to understand how they learn and develop, since many of the future students are now growing in an individualist environment.
ReplyDeleteAnother important point Tatum brings up is the disparities seen in schooling within the sociopolitical context. She talks about the issues Latinx students face as they are not seen as part of the US and are often excluded for talking in a different language or just expressing their beliefs. Many educators assume that because of their background that they are not capable of achieving as well as the other students, and this is impacting students academically and even socially. As future educators, we must examine our own beliefs and tackle our implicit biases in order to understand all our students in the future. Understanding ourselves will not only bring us closer to our students and their cultures, but it would also help us in our day to day life as society becomes more diverse and inclusive.
Arilidis Nolasco (I thought it would show my name ^)
DeleteI strongly agree, Hammond explains so many important concepts that are involved in not only the educational system but in every day life. We are constantly faced with different cultures and diversity. Since there is no step by step how to act guide, it is up to the individual to learn about the concepts involved. The more we are having conversations about the sociopolitical context, the more comfortable we will feel. It will give us confidence in ensuring every student is achieving academically and socially. There are a variety of different students in a given classroom, It is our job as teachers to make sure everyone feels welcomed and heard. With this being said, students should be excited to share their background and culture, they shouldn’t feel like they have to hide.
ReplyDeletePrior to arriving to Mount St. Mary's, I never had any of these conversations. These courses have provided me with multiple resources that I can reference at any point in the future. But now it is my priority to take the initiative and educate myself even more on topics of collectivism, individualism, and implicit bias. I will continue to further my education so that I am being the best teacher that I can be. (word count: 206)
Maddie, I love how you acknowledged that you never had conversations like this before. I am in the same boat. I usually steer away from topical conversations because they make me uncomfortable. But as an educator, I need to be informed in order to best teach my students, and stand up for them.
DeleteDr. Ohanian,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate Hammond's explanation of how wrong the "culture of poverty" is. It made me really question my own biases when thinking about children and adults who live in poverty. For example, when one sees a child is on the free or reduced lunch meal list, we may automatically think down on them, assume his parents aren't working, assume he has a rough life at home, etc. But it is unfair of us to make those sorts of assumptions about students just because they receive free meals. We must really take into account our biases and work on removing those stereotypical shortcuts our brain makes.
I really like how you incorporated Tatum's exploration of "familism" in LatinX communities. For I see this is my Boyfriend's family, but never knew the title for this obligation that Latinx members have within their families. His family is of Mexican descent, and he and his family just feel so much responsibility and obligation for one another. It is a stronger obligation than the obligation I feel towards my family (obviously I love my family very much but I feel like theirs is another level). It is honestly amazing for me to see, (and this is going to sound terrible) but in my experience sometimes this obligation helps and hinders. I think familism is a beautiful and wonderful thing, and as Hammond mentioned, it is sort of a survival mechanism, as it keeps their culture alive and supports their academic endeavors. This is just what I have viewed with their family, and it is very possible that it is different for every family.
Word Count: 251
Dr. Ohanian,
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought up the part on page 22 about things being labeled as “low emotional charge”. Its important to call attention to this, just because something is not a big deal to someone, doesn’t mean it has the same effect on another individual. Everyone has a different culture, and we need to recognize that in the classroom. I think that is part of being a culturally responsive teacher. While we may not agree or understand why different cultures have the practices they do, it should all be respected. We must be empathetic and put ourselves in the shoes of those around us.
While I found chapter 2 from Hammond to be interesting, I really enjoyed reading about the Latinx culture from Tatum. I learned a lot of demographics of Latinx people. It was interesting to read that this minority makes up so much of our population. I was also interested to read the breakdown of demographics of who was Salvadoran and who was Puerto Rican. Thus far in the semester, these readings have opened my eyes to being more aware of the cultures that may be around me and how I need to be sensitive to the members of that community.
(Sara Wilson)
Dr Ohanian,
ReplyDeleteI find it really important that you mentioned that Hammond does not hand her readers a how-to on culture or promote an oversimplification of values and behaviors. Too often, we believe that we can figure out a way to understand culture and apply it across the board; even if we do, through conversations and self-education, come to understand one student`s culture, that does not make those lessons applicable to every student`s culture experience. One of the beautiful things about culture is that it is all so different, even within the same tradition. As educators, it is our responsibility to advocate for all of our students, making them feel valued and welcome, their culture respected and represented within the classroom.
I really enjoyed reading Hammond`s section on the Latinx community. Despite attending high school in a predominately Latinx community, their individual culture was not respected or valued by the white administration. I think its so important to be educated about these differences so we can not only avoid oversimplifying someone`s values and culture but also to strengthen our own understanding and respect for the many diverse traditions of our communities.
(Sarah Johnson)
Dr. Ohanian,
ReplyDeleteThe most important kinds of archetypes are collectivism and individualism.
Approximately 20% of the world has an individualistic mindset, and 80% practice collectivist culture. I agree with your statement that we need to explore the cultural archetypes of collectivism as well as individualism further. You had stated in your blog that there are age-appropriate discussions when opening classroom to discussions and understandings and I believe it is important for students to be presented with this information when needed and are aware of the topic early on. Sociopolitical context is not to be used in the context of poverty. Poverty is not a culture. It is not a choice that these families wanted to have nor is it the same meaning as social political context. As future educators, it is important to know the difference between the two and not compare them to one another or misinterpret the two. This reading has much so grabbed my attention and I plan to further educate myself on his topic. Prior to this class, I was unable to be educated and given the resources that this class is providing and I am excited to further my learning on these topics. I had grown up in a community where these topics were not taught or acknowledged.
(Danielle Donoghue, 211)
In your recent blog post, you bring up a lot of great points about the culture of poverty. I believe teachers are not fully informed and are given false information. For example, you mention Ruby Payne who teaches the culture of poverty. I think it is very important for schools to inform their teachers of this misleading information. I personally did not know about the culture of poverty before reading Hammond. After reading, I realized that I have previously made assumptions that support the idea of a culture of poverty. By reading Hammond, I am more aware of my biases and understand that we have to be careful when making assumptions.
ReplyDeleteHammond gives us the analogy of the tree to describe the three types of culture; surface, shallow, and deep culture (24). This tree analogy really strengthens my understanding of culture. I think it is necessary for teachers to understand the differences between the types of culture to fully understand their students. This also leads us to the idea of individualism and collectivism culture. I also agree that this can be further explored to help us understand a student's deep culture. I believe that we can’t make assumptions just because a student is from a certain culture.
Lastly, Tatum shares perspectives from Latinx students and how they struggled with identity and their language in schools (246-250). I think it is very important for teachers to encourage students to be proud of their identity and culture and to support them in any way possible. (Word Count 253)
Dr. Ohanian,
ReplyDeleteReading about this topic that both Tatum and Hammond explore has opened my eyes to information that I wasn't aware of. Hammonds comparison of a tree to surface culture, shallow culture and deep culture is fascinating. Before reading I knew that in my classroom there would be children that come from many different backgrounds. Many of my future students will have cultures and backgrounds completely different from mine. For example, some students come from an individualist community which is something that I am not used to at all. As a hispanic I come from a collectivist community which is what I have been surrounded with my whole life. The community and culture you come from and grow up in plays a part in how you learn. One point that Tatum brings up is the idea of Familism which is similar to a collectivist community. They both share the idea that there is a sense of community and family in which all members have each other's backs. Tatum brings up the fact that students from Latinx families go to school knowing the end result would be to support their families. Knowing where students come from and how they learn in a classroom setting has to do partly with their culture. Being open to learning and adapting to new ideas and cultures is something all teachers should be doing.
-Alexa Carril
(Word Count 227)
Whether I was walking through the streets of Rome, or talking to my friends about their heritage I have always been interested in learning about different cultures. This is primarily because my love for History guides my studies towards various cultures in the past. Yet, before taking this course I have been in the dark on many of the topics we have discussed. The one familiar topic that has allowed for transition is the collectivist and individualist cultures. In class we talked about the familial nature of the Latinx community and the misconceptions conceived because of it. The point you raised that oversimplifying these communities can cause trouble strikes a chord because there is a fine line between familism and a collectivist nature. It reminds me of my time in Rome and Venice, how people approached me and the slower pace of the day. Can cultures be defined by titles like “individualistic” or “collectivist” or do we need to take a deeper dive into how we view culture. Your blog post raised more questions for me than answers, but I believe these questions (and hopefully the answers we find) will drive better discussions on culture.
ReplyDeleteWord Count: 195
Written by: Liam Bergin
Dr. Ohanian,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. I agree that Hammond is very concise in her writing on culture and the sociopolitical context. When teaching my future students, I want to incorporate culturally responsive teaching to the best of my ability. I also want to be able to set high expectations for all students no matter what their economic status is. One thing I also learned was the cultural archetypes. I did know of them; I did not know the corresponding names which are an individualistic or a collectivist community. Hammond describes them as “Collectivist societies emphasize relationships, interdependence within a community, and cooperative learning. Individualistic societies emphasize individual achievement and independence” (Hammond, 25). I grew up in a very diverse county, and a collectivist school community. So, I know how it feels for a child to work together with their other classmates.
I also enjoyed reading what Tatum had to say about the Latinx community. I especially liked the example she used of Cristina, a Puerto Rican college student. I am half Puerto Rican, and when Tatum started describing the situation that had occurred for her. It had reminded me of something that had happened to me as well, when I was younger. Tatum stated “I’m a lot more fluent with English. I struggle with Spanish and it’s something I’ve been trying to reclaim” (Tatum, 247). When I was younger, I was fluent in Spanish until I went to Kindergarten I had to start speaking in English because that is what the dominant culture was.
Overall, I believe that every teacher should incorporate culturally responsive techniques into their own classrooms in a way that best benefits the students.
Alejandra Morales
I agree with your points that Hammond discusses some very important issues and topics that should be addressed. I appreciated how Hammond did not provide one way to necessarily fix these issues, but he uses his work to reflect on them and address them. I also think it is important that you mentioned the awareness of surface culture, shallow culture, and deep culture. Understanding the difference between those terms can assist us in better discussion of concepts surrounding these important issues. I also appreciated your point about the need to explore cultural archetypes of collectivism and individualism in order not to oversimplify. This is important because is can help us to become educated on issues that may not affect us directly. Having these conversations is very important and can be beneficial in many ways.
ReplyDelete(Christen Zuvich)
I also agree with the importance of cultural understanding as it relates to the classroom. It is obviously important to recognize culture among students in the classroom, but the more we look at the background and history of certain cultures the more we understand why these cultures are the way they are. The example of collectivism and individualism is a good one as it can explain behaviors in the classroom. Learning about different cultures and alway trying to raise our own awareness is crucial to understand our students to the best of our abilities so that we can provide them with the best education possible. Emma Allen
ReplyDeleteDr. Ohanian,
ReplyDeleteHammond’s text has done an excellent job in challenging teachers and their previous misconstrued outlooks, and pointing them on the path towards enlightenment. As you pointed out, it is not Hammond, or quite frankly any, educator’s job to give a step by step “guide”, on how to handle or instruct students at risk, in fact seeking to do so demonstrates a lack of understanding the true issue at hand, how the system is failing certain students in hidden ways. Payne’s, “Culture of Poverty”, is destructive due to the bias it perpetuates. Viewing any group of students as “challenged”, and lowering the bar for them, as well as continuing on an emphasis on lecture, and not implementing critical thinking, is simply deepening the damage for students. Hammons awareness of culture, as you mentioned, required me to challenge my own misunderstanding in recognizing others culture. As humans, I feel we are quick to judge one another based on surface culture, instead of deepening our knowledge and understanding, and finding the commonalities in thinking. For example, the United States was recognized as a more individualistic society according to Hofstede, while a country like Guatemala has more emphasis on collectivism and family, as an instructor we could see the beauty in both and find a way to recognize this fairly in our classroom. Hammond’s discussion on the Latinx community brought awareness as well as sadness to my heart. The cycle of undocumented students going through their elementary and high school education, to simply be put in a minimum wage job with little to no opportunity, due to their undocumented status, is heart breaking.
Word Count: 272
Genesis Litteral
People can have bias without knowing them, which is implicit bias. It was surprising to see how students that are bilingual are not happy about being able to speak two languages or more. They feel they are outcast because they are able to speak more or that they look a different way. In Tatum’s book, there were students that talked about being bilingual. A student, Paul, lives in Chicago in a white neighborhood, he was upset about being Mexican (248).
ReplyDeleteCulture can also play a role in stereotypes. Hammond makes it very clear that poverty is not a culture (32). There is a stereotype that students that come from poor families are not going to do as well in school or become very successful. If you look at a lot of families nowadays, students are the first in their families that are going to college. If us, as teachers, are going to stereotype students from poor families, then we could be depriving them from bettering themselves to help get them out of poverty.
Ted Holahan
ReplyDeleteBias is one thing that I feel that "natives" have against immigrants who are coming over to America because they are unfamiliar with their culture. This is why I feel that it is so important to teach culture in the classroom around the country. Students being labeled as categories is an incorrect way to represent their status they are more individualistic then categorical