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The role of culture in identity formation
Relationship between culture and identity
Cultural identity is a social construct
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Recommended: The role of culture in identity formation
Culture and Context: Theory and Practice
Merriam and Bierema (2014) stated, “Adult learning is a journey” (p.238). Within that journey culture and context affect learning and our globalizing world. Culture can be simply defined by the shared practices, values, and beliefs that are passed on and taught as the correct way to act and think. Culture deeply influences a vast amount of groups from regions to organizations and classroom environments (Merriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 239). Culture has an effect on both formal and informal practices. Throughout adult education, culture is examined from several perspectives including one’s position, privilege, context, and power.
Positionality
Positionality is an attribute that is obvious or relates to age, gender, race, ableness, language, and so on (Merriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 240). For example, if one were to look up a list of the top 100 authors of all time, they would not see
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Answering the question of whether one is privileged or not is a difficult assessment to make. For instance if “you are white, male, able-bodied, heterosexual, or possess wealth,” determining that power is not as evident as if you were in the opposite end of the spectrum (Merriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 240). The topics of position as well as privilege are often discussed in diversity trainings in the workplace. Having the skills to be able to talk about these issues freely are crucial to educators and adult learners in our society today due to the control of the education system. In both Mexico and the United States, one’s privilege allows them the position in society to address the “issue of educational opportunity” (Keane, 1994). Many times, in these types of societies it has been shown that privilege can overcome certain attributes and skills, such as intellect, to determine position and/or
In conversations many people get defensive when someone says, “You have this because of your privilege” they feel as though that the person they are talking with doesn’t understand that they have worked hard for what they have, however that is not the point that anyone is trying to make. What someone in that position is saying is that although you have worked hard to get where you are your journey have been well furnished with privilege on account of your race. It is said to think about that you got somewhere in life due to the color of your skin, but it is also sadder to think that someone got declined a job, got stereotyped, or got overlooked because of their race or
Today in the United States of America people are both privileged and oppressed based on their diversity markers and social locations. These advantages and disadvantages are put in place by the people whom are in power, or otherwise known as the government and other leading officials. This is a major issue in today’s society that often tends to be masked by the many other issues within the country as well as by the privileged people. Many people who experience privilege tend to believe that privilege and oppression do not exist and that everyone has equal opportunity, but that is not the case privilege and oppression does exist and it can be seen every day in society. After a careful review of Dena Samuel’s “Matrix Model of Oppression and Privilege” I identified myself as rather privileged due to my social and diversity locations on her model.
In today’s society, when the word “privilege” is associated with someone, it is often seen as something negative and people tend to ignore and turn away from the word in fear of receiving accusations. In Roxane Gay’s “Peculiar Benefits”, an excerpt from her book Bad Feminist, she argues that people should accept and acknowledge the privileges they hold. Gay’s argument is built based on her personal experience, citing cultural critics/other people, and emotionally appealing to her audience.
When I read “Checking My Privilege” written by Tal Fortgang, a freshman at Princeton University, it made me stop and think. What does privilege mean, how should it be used and does it affect me and my life? Fortgang never really states the exact meaning of the word privilege but goes on to complain about the mistreatment of the word and how it is a form of reverse racism; could that be true, I wondered? However, he also claims that privileges do not exist based on race or gender, and that is something I do not agree with. I imagine many people will not agree with his stance on the word privilege or mine, as a matter of fact. Mainly because the word privilege has a different
The two articles that had a profound impact to my understanding of race, class and gender in the United States was White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh and Imagine a Country by Holly Sklar. McIntosh explains the keys aspects of unearned advantage (a privilege that one group hold over another) as well as conferred dominance (the act of voluntarily giving another group power) and the relationship that these factors hold when determine power of a social group. Additionally, the purpose of McIntosh’s article was to demonstrate the privilege that certain individuals carry and how that translates to the social structures of our society. Furthermore, conferred dominance also contributes to the power of the dominant group
Privileges are things that a person receives that gives them an advantage over most people (Merriam-Webster). These are benefits that only certain people receive for being in a certain group or discourse. Peggy McIntosh, director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, wrote “White Privilege and Male Privilege” and states “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privileges, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege” (605). She argues that whites and males receive certain privileges, yet they do not even notice them. This shows that different races and women are still put at a disadvantage, but the people who receive the benefits are blind to the problem.
Privilege is a topic with, any definitions and many angles of interpretation. My definition describes privilege as a step-up or positive opportunity in a specific situation or circumstance that is not available to everyone. These privileges are sometimes earned while others are totally unwarranted by the recipient. An example of what I consider an unwarranted privilege would be a child living in a certain county and being able to attend a highly sought-after school strictly due to the way an area is zoned by the county. The privilege of a military veteran having his tuition paid for by the Government is a earned privilege by my beliefs. Privilege far extends far outside the boundaries of education. You will find privilege in virtually all facets
White privilege is a concept that many people are unfamiliar with, but not because they do not benefit from it. In the paper “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh, argues that white people have an advantage over those of other races, though most are completely unaware of it or simply take it for granted. Her recognition of white privilege came from the concept of male privilege. She says that she looked at that concept and realized there was certainly something similar to it in regards to race (McIntosh, 1988, 11). This paper has great importance to the function of society.
Both authors have recognized the fundamental structures behind privilege –specifically white privilege in America. Their purpose and that of many civil right activists of our era is to bring awareness to those who are in positions of privilege to bring change that fosters the spirit of inclusion, reform and progression into America’s social and mainstream environments.
The prevalence of white privilege had not occurred to me previously, but after reading White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack I have a better understanding of the impact my privilege has on myself and others. I also started to realize that this privilege can not only cause emotional distress for people, but also prevent them from achieving success. For instance, privilege can cause people from wealthier areas to receive more money for their school compared with those from poorer areas. This does not only impact the student by affecting the quality of their education, but also makes it harder for these students to rise above the poverty
Individuals may be gifted with certain privileges because of the position one holds in society. Most importantly, one can obtain certain privileges from being born with them. One might be “born” with certain privileges because of one’s race, ethnicity, religion and or social class. The most significant factor that may influence one’s obtainment of privileges is social class. Although, race also plays a crucial role. The privileges I obtain surface from my position in society. I don’t feel as if I acquire privileges because of my race and ethnicity. I feel as though that the privileges I acquire are earned, not given. My perspective of this arises from the social stratum in my proximity. The concept that hard work will get one to their desired
Culture is an important component when studying a group of people. The idea of culture creates a mental image of how people interact with each other in communities of varying sizes. For educational leaders, throughout the decision-making process, working within the culture of an institution is an important asset for him or her to use with internal and external stakeholders. Craven (1975) infers that in order to make a good decision an educational leader must be in “pursuit of organizational and/or personal goals and objectives” (p. 127). The process of recognizing, respecting, and utilizing the culture of an institution will be a prominent theme of traits and behaviors for effective educational leaders and the decisions they will make throughout their decision-making role.
population is characterized by drastically increasing diversity, it is essential that schools and facilitators are culturally competent practitioners. No longer can we lack awareness that diversity issues exist within people, groups, and society in general. Lacking knowledge and understanding about what diversity issues mean to the Adult student can have possible consequences that may diminish ability to be competitive in today’s society. A lack of understanding can be based on inexperience, ignorance, and the inability to be empathetic about adult student’s culture, customs, and values. Diversity issues lower level of independence and the expectations of education. It affects attitudes towards learning, work, personalities, social skills and abilities. When we talk about diversity issues with respect to andragogy learners, I am referring to the kinds of things that influences, distort conditions, and sets of circumstances that adversely affect their ability to learn. Some facilitators refer to the extra burdens that learners carry as barriers to acquiring knowledge. Adults bring those barriers with them. The nature of these barriers and the level of impact it has on the learner has considerable influence on the ability to succeed in a class. One of the solutions an educator can employ in their classroom is to have a general understanding of the diverse cultural backgrounds of the adult students. This can be accomplished by talking about things
“Culture consists of values, traditions, worldview, and social and political relationships created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a common history, geographic location, language, social class, religion, or other shared identity” (Nieto & Bode, 2008). Now that we have identified the characteristics of culture in the definition provided above, we can discuss the upbringing of the student I chose for my observation. For this observation, I chose a third grade male student named Israel Oketunmbi. I gathered most of the information about...
Culture is a powerful influence plays a big role in our interactions. Culture may also impact parenting style and a developing child. Having a strong sense of their own cultural history and the traditions associated with it helps children build a positive cultural identity for themselves. This also supports children’s sense of belonging and, by extension, their mental health and wellbeing. This class is crucial in understanding and working well parents, staff, and children. An effective educator understands how students’ cultures affect their perceptions, self-esteem, values, classroom behavior, and learning. As director, I need to use that understanding to help my students and staff feel welcomed, affirmed, respected, and valued. One way that I can do this is by using multicultural literature, especially children’s literature, to honor students’ culture and foster cross-cultural understanding. If cultural differences are not understood by teachers and management, it can lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings on both sides. It will be my job to do all I can to overcome both language and cultural differences to ensure a positive learning environment for