Acculturation, Pluralism and Cross-Cultural Awareness in the Classroom

Acculturation, Pluralism and Cross-Cultural Awareness in the Classroom

First, acculturation is the process of adopting the dominant group’s cultural patterns; some groups prefer to keep, or maintain the original culture. Consequently that group will not have become highly cultured to American culture. Second, Pluralism ideology believes that they should keep their identity and culture. Such ideas have advantages and disadvantages, because most of the case the dominant groups are not willing to share powers, and Third, cross-cultural awareness in the classroom is critical for nation that is form by diversity groups.

The main purpose of this search is to evaluate he advantages and the disadvantages of acculturation, pluralism and cross-cultural awareness in the classroom from different perspectives. The supporters the acculturation usually are the groups from the first generation of immigrants. They keep their identity and cultures. One of the issues of this group is that they never become fully form part of the main stream society.

By definition acculturation “refers to changes to that take place as a result of continuous firsthand contact between individuals of different cultures. Such contact not only produces changes in people’s attitude, values, and behavior, but may also significantly affect their cultural identity. “It is important to note that acculturation is determined, in part by the individuals or family; that us, they can decide how much they want to dress, speak, and behave like members of the dominant group.
According to Rambaut and Portes (2001) “There are three acculturation patterns among immigrants: consonant, dissonant, and selective. Example of consonant acculturation, parent and children learn the language and culture of the community in which they live. In dissonant acculturation, children learn English and the new culture while parents retain their native language and culture, often leading to conflict within the family and decreasing parenting authority, and fluent bilingualism in the second generation is an outcome of selective acculturation in which the children of immigrants learn the dominant culture and language, but retain significant elements of their native culture.”Donna M. Gollnick, Philip C.Chinn (2006) Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society Pg.29

Newcomers, for example, may have come from relatively homogeneous countries such as Japan, where cultural identity is rarely challenged, and may have had no experiences with the new host culture.” Kenneth Cushner Averil McClelland (2006) Human Diversity In Education Pag.115.People also differ in the degree to which they wish to retain or are willing to change their cultural identity.

Second, pluralism ideology “allows two or more distinct groups to function separately and equally without requiring any assimilation of one into the other” Donna M.Gollnick , Philip. Chinn (2006 Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society) It is the point of view of conservative. Pluralism recognized many ethnic and/or religious groups that could coexist. It has advantage and disadvantages. There are not equitably between the dominant group and the groups who identify themselves with the pluralism. For the two groups to function, it will be necessary that power and resources be shared across those groups. Through the long of the history of this nation those power and resources have been controlled by the dominant group. They will be not very willingly share power and Wealth with others. To attain social and economic mobility, minorities are requiring functioning in the dominant culture rules.

For example “some critics of the system believe that the dominant group uses a strategy of divide and conquer to keep ethnic groups segregated and fighting among themselves for the few resources available “Donna M. Gollnick, Philip C. Chinn (2006 Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society Pg.32) Other believes in the integration of cultural group and promotion of more equality across groups.”It is good intention of those groups, but the reality is totally different. The ideology of the dominant group is why we have to share power and resources if we were the first to establish this nation.
This position is not directly open, but it subjective by the attitude that the dominant group have toward minority group. We had experienced the feeling of living in a culture where small groups want to dominate by force, and elite groups have control over power and the few resources. The advantages of the pluralism call for free choice for individuals as well as groups. The practice of cultural choices allows individuals the right to choose statuses such as gender, ethnicity, and age in determining who they are. Even though, of this supposedly advantages in the United States neither assimilation nor pluralism adequately addresses the diversity that exists. The school should also help all students to develop ethnic literacy, since most American are very ignorant about cultures in the United States others than their own. As educators have to close this gap and teach the students to have more understanding of other different.
Third, Cushers and Brislin stated “that for years researchers from cross- culture psychology have searched for methods that could be used to analyze, understand, improve intercultural interaction.”Knneth Cushner, (2009) Human Diversity in Education Pg.119. As many analytics suggest, that cross-culture have to be with the recognition that people have similar reactions to their cross-cultural encounters regardless of the setting or the person their own cultural background. I believe that everybody have the same feeling when we have to encounter with unfamiliar situation, or new culture.

It is just in the universal approach, but in the school setting Cross-Cultural Awareness have a specific meaning; that we must have to think about if we want to become an efficient educator. We have to become as model for students. Students can learn to understand and appreciate culture groups if the adults and teachers set the right attitude about differences. Another example is many educators are in disadvantage, because they do not live, or have never lived, in the community in which their students live. In my understanding it is not a valid excuse. When we take a teaching position in an area that we are not familiar with; we have to do our researcher about that particular neighborhood.

There are various resources useful to acquire knowledge about our diversity in the classroom. For example,” we can learn about the perspective of others by reading articles and books written by men women from different ethnics, racial, social-economic, and religious groups.” Donna, M. Gollinick (2006 education that is multicultural)

I think that we as educators, we have to open the windows for more understanding between different cultures that take place in the classroom. It is very important that we are familiar with our students demographic, and social economic backgrounds. Create curriculum having in mind all diversity present in the classroom.

Cross-culture awareness is a priority not a choice. It is not only for an individual who wants to become an educator. It is something that helpful in the kind of world that we live. Many people have to leave the country for different motives. When we are willing to accept other and understand others cultures it make our life my easy in unfamiliar environment.

Finally, as teachers we need to have understanding of diversity and culture differences. I think that it is easy for educators to say that she /he does not see colors, or ethnic in the classroom. It is just because the person wants to denial cultural differences. These teachers do not share experience with the community where their students lives. It is normal that some people want to maintain they own norms and values. Since other prefer the acculturation because they see more opportunities of with the world of the dominant group. The reality is that if an individual does not want to interact with the others ethnic groups then these persons become insolate. A teacher with understand of the real reality of this nation will celebrate culture differences. I believe that each student I unique entity with her/his talents and difficulty.

References

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