Warning: This blog could be very controversial in nature and could inspire very strong feelings for some who read it. I ask those who comment to try to consider the delicate nature of the conversation.
I was talking with a colleague of mine and the subject of culture came up. Now, for full disclosure's sake I should point out that I am in fact a white male. This should be obvious enough based on my profile picture, but I guess you never can tell these days. My colleague is an Hispanic female. So, I thought her perspective on the conversation was very valuable. We got on the subject because she was talking about a workshop she went to led by a legendary educational guru named Ruby Payne.
For those too lazy to follow the link, Ms. Payne has been working with educators on how they should work with at risk students. Students can be at risk for any number of reasons, but in today's burgeoning economy, poverty is the most predominant factor. From poverty we can certainly subdivide into other groups and cultures that might overlap with that overlying factor. In other words, a quick tutorial of the history of the United States in economic terms shows that so-called minority groups seem to have a higher percentage of their members as a part of that poverty group.
My colleague was saying that Payne's advice was to accept the students where they are and work from there. This of course leads me to today's question. As repugnant as I feel to ask, does every culture have equal value in today's society? I ask that knowing the answer probably should be yes on some level, but I think we all know that it isn't. Corporate America is white America. The "white" culture is different from other cultures and therefore those outside the white culture have difficulty breaking through the glass ceiling unless they adapt to the white culture.
The simple question of the day is this: is this a good thing? Should we be encouraging people to adapt to one culture that has somehow been viewed as superior simply because it is the culture of the majority? In point of fact, I learned growing up that culture is not broken down by racial lines but socioeconomic lines. I did not see color growing up because everyone I knew was white. That included the people that weren't really white. They all acted white.
As I moved into the real world (and out of suburbia) I realized there were differences and these differences almost take the form of stereotypes. The list is easy to rattle off. These stereotypes include: black children come from one parent families and most are on welfare. Hispanic kids come from large families where they are expected to work and drop school when they are teenagers. Many of them start families in their teens. I could go on and on, but I think all of you know the score.
The degree of truth of these stereotypes depends greatly on the socioeconomic status of those involved. However, when one encounters those that match the stereotype one must go through a complex tapestry of struggles to determine what to do. If we validate where they are (as Payne suggests) then are we validating a way of life? Should we validate that way of life or should we advocate one we think is better? If we advocate one we think is better then are we inappropriately assigning value to different cultures? See, now I've gone crosseyed?
In schools, I see us subtely doing this every day. We take kids that are naturally loud and get them into trouble. Sometimes I catch myself asking, "why do you have to be so loud. I'm just two feet from you." Yet, I also catch myself noticing that most of these children all come from the same cultural background. Is this something inate, are the children modeling the adults in their lives, or is it simply a lack of priority to get kids to speak at a socially acceptable volume? Moreover, is this yet just another example of some of us assigning a higher value to those that speak at a softer level?
The problem is that when we allow that cultural norm to continue then they will get to a point where they can't make it in traditional corporate America. The volume of speech is just one tiny issue in a whole bag of issues. So, the classic quandary exists: do we work with them to act more like "us" and thus possibly strip away some of their indentity or do we allow them to keep all of their identity and risk them being relatively unsuccessful in integrating into mainstream economic society? Your thoughts are always appreciated.
Editor's Note:
Bart...Now I've figured out who you are. I had forgotten that Bart is the ID you used at the chron until you got banned for trolling and personal attacks. Now you use seriouscynic as your secret ID there where you can hide behind anonymity and take pot shots at people who use their real names. Very brave. And scary.
You're welcome here as long as you're not an asshole like on the chron. Try that here and you won't even get heard. We love discussion here at TDH, not just the silly back and forth and sniping that you and others like to engage in.
It isn't so much that we aren't committed to excellence but that we are committed to educating the masses (as you said). However, that wasn't really my question. The question is whether there is one way to skin a cat or not. I purposely kept as much opinion out to drum out some opinions from the crowd. Call it a modified Socratic method if you will.
My belief is that we have to find a balance between pushing one culture and allowing people to behave badly. In education, we may not be able to teach people quantum physics, but we can teach them socially responsible behavior. I think that begins with acknowledging that a test does not determine whether you will ultimately succeed whether it be TAKS, SAT, LSAT, or GRE.
Assimilation is important. To run a society you need to have people on the same page.
However... lets look at the page for a second.
The page consists of a patriarchal hierarchy hell-bent on world domination through military and financial means.
So yes, it is good to contemplate how to include everyone. But, what are we trying to include everyone into?
----
Money
Education
Gender
Race
Creed
=
Tools used by people, who themselves are not effected by them, to control other people.
I argue the problem isn't inclusion or breaking that "Glass Ceiling". Some of the smartest people I have ever met have been something other than white. The problem is a fundamentally flawed governance by people who as a whole didn't earn their wealth or station. It was handed to them by previous generations.
It is not what you know or how well you know it, it is who you know and how well you know them.
Two things came to mind as I read your post.
1 - You wrote:
to keep all of their identity and risk them being relatively unsuccessful
Consider hip-hop. Way outside of white male culture when it started, but now popular with many cultures. Commercial success in any endeavor is chancy, but the few who have made it in this arena haven't, on the surface, adopted a white culture. And yet, they're successful. There's a lot to be said for being true to oneself.
2 - To me, your contrast of cultural "norms" was really about behavior.
Each school gets to determine the desired behavioral culture of that school. Personally, I think most public schools are too informal.
(Yes, I went to a Catholic school. Yes, I had to stand up to answer questions. Yes, I had to say good morning to each teacher I encountered.)
Education is a sacred rite. Adults pass down what they've learned to children. It's a big deal.
Students and teachers should be polite to each other, in respect of that sacred rite, even if they don't always respect each other.
(Of course, I also think children should be required to carry their parent's property tax statement to the first day of school each year. After a peek at that, they might have more respect for their "free" schooling.)
Good post.
I read your disclaimer and thought the post would be about monster truck driving.
Scott,
You're very brave today!
I think sticking to each child's personality and working whatever makes them tick is the way to go, regardless of race. Everyone has something that motivates them. Me, it's competition. You tell me I can't outrun carguy in a marathon and I'll train for months on end and push myself to the extreme to do it. If you tell me I can't do something, I WILL PROVE YOU WRONG. Others are motivated by altruism, some are motivated by fear, whatever. That has more bearing on each student. Culture might play a role in that - cultures that value education, for example - you can use cultural norms and benchmarks to motivate them. But you teach them to succeed based on their inner workings, not where they live or the color of their skin.
Scott, excellent blog as usual and quite thought provoking!
I am going to agree with Carguy 100%. We ARE different and that will not change (unless we all become like the Stepford Wives), but that does not mean that we should not have equal rights and opportunities under the law.
Personally, I think that we should celebrate our cultural differences - that is what makes us unique.
This all started with the likes of Ruby Payne. We have a divide within society and education. We have some that are old-fashioned and believe in teaching old fashioned manners, customs, and traits needed to succeed. Then, we have modern folks preaching the new age philosophy of letting people be who they are. I thought it would be an interesting point to discuss. In South Park parlance, it is "aging hippie liberal deuch vs. intolerant redneck."
Scott,
I find this a little amusing, and I say that with a friendly attitude. I think you're overly concerned about doing the right thing.
Seriously, in order to emphasize the 'right' direction in 'our' culture it isn't necessary to denigrate the 'subculture'. Merely respecting the subculture holds tremendous value and it provides a wealth of credibility.
You can trust me on this...ALL parents encourage their children to acculturate to the "American" way of life. They recognize the success of that view else why would they be here. Even at the lowest rung (the illegal) the people are here because it offers a chance at the American notion of success.
I think that what you refer to is simply a lack of 'manners' and a lack of manners has no place in any society. Proper etiquette can and should be taught by any credentialed individual.
Discourtesy is rampant in our society and I encounter it from people of all sizes, shapes, colors, creeds, and economic standing. In many cases, we only learn what our parents taught us or more accurately what our parents didn't teach us, but as a graduate (victim, really) of a Catholic school system, I can tell you that we as middle school students had a semester of daily one hour instruction on how to behave as proper 'ladies and gentlemen'. I admit that it didn't imprint flawlessly on my character but I do try to regulate how many people I insult in a given day.
I think you're alright. :O)
PLease indulge me one more post. Relevant, I think.
Hell is when
The British are the cooks
The Germans are the policemen
The French make the cars
The Swiss are the lovers
And the Italians arrange everything
Heaven is when
The British are the police
The Italians are the cooks
The French are the lovers
The Germans make the cars
And the Swiss arrange everything.
Now that I've said that. Let me add one thing. There are societal norms in every "society". IF you want to be accepted inthast society you have conform to those norms. Otherwise, you look like an outsider. ALL humans are more confortable with people with whom they have common interests, mores, etc.
If you want to be "part" of a biker (motorcyle) group, you need a Harley, a black leather jacket, boots, and huge ring of keys hooked to your pant's belt loop. A HOT bijker chick wouldn't hurt.
But that appearance, attire, and attitude is NOT gonna get you into the local chapter of the Houston Association of CPA's.
Do we want people from different cultures to change? It's really up to them. If you want to "skate with the crowd", sorry, you gotta be goin' the same direction. That's life.
One of the big problems we have encountered in our quest for "racial equality" is that while every individual should have equal opportunity. Not every individual brings to the table the same qualifications and skills.
We want every race to be treated "the same" but, the unrefutable fact is that all races are NOT ther same. They have social and cultural differences. A simple example, people from Arab countries have A LOT of differences from us in America. When we go to their country we are supposed to understand and allow for the fact that the are "different". We do that.
But when THEY come over her to live. We are suppsed to treat the the same. Fact is, THEY AREN'T THE SAME. Religiously, socially, politically, cultural there ARE huge differences. And that goes for some of our own home grown races and cultures. Hell, even within the caucasian race you have a BIG difference between those Ivy League college bound, sweater wearers in Connecticutt and those kids in Kentucky whose primary job after school is guarding the still. (If you Kentuckians are insulted please substitute Arkansas in that statement for KY).
The quicker we begin to accepts that we are not ALL equal, not ALL the same, that there are distinct social and economic classes in our society and they are sometimes defined by race and culture, the quicker we can get on with it all.
Equal opportuity for ALL. Good. But there is a reason why 80% of the NBA is black guys.