One hope that I have for working
with children and their families from diverse backgrounds is that they feel a
sense of normalcy and respect for their culture. I do not want them to feel
they have to conform to the dominant culture. They should adapt as we all do,
to acceptance but not total conformance where their culture is lost.
The goal I would set for the early childhood
profession would be that all professionals, live by the golden rule. When one
gets outside of their bubble they can gain a new perspective. If we thought about
ourselves in the same manner as person of diversity is typically treated, then
a thought process of how you treat people of different backgrounds. Treating
others as you would want is the way to start conversations on diversity challenges.
Thank you to all of you, for your
insights, comments, and serious conversation on diversity perspectives. I
appreciate the new insights I have discovered about myself and excited for the
change we all can make in our field.
Angelika,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you referred to the dominant culture; so many people feel that they must conform in order to fit in. I say, we should all maintain who we are and what we believe, in order to be different. If everyone in the world were the same, the world would be a pretty dull place. I am glad there is diversity; it teaches us to accept something or someone different from what we normally see in our environment. In my experiences, I have enjoyed learning about diverse cultures; it allows me to embrace something more. The dominant culture always seems to think their way is the best way; in my opinion, it is not. The dominant way puts everything into a neat little box and it does not want anything to veer away from that. We have learned so many new ways of looking at culture, diversity, equity, and social justice; I will use all of the things I have learned to teach others how to be accepting of diversity, so we can improve equity in our field.
Lah-Lah
Angelika,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that culturally diverse persons should not have to compromise their cultural identity and completely assume the dominate culture in its place. I find it very disheartening when I think about what it must be like to be forced to accept a culture not my own, hence letting go of who I really am. With this new found awareness, it is my hope that I will become a more astute advocate for the children and families I work with. I want to thank you for all the valuable input you have provided over the past 8 weeks, and wish you well as you continue your ECE and anti-bias journeys. :)
Pamela
Angelika,
ReplyDeleteI love that you mentioned you would like all people to feel a sense of normalcy. I think the problem with that is that it is hard to determine what is normal for all people. Unfortunately, the dominant culture (those who are rich and wealthy) set societal standards.
Faith
Hi Angelika,
ReplyDeleteI too have the hope that I can incorporate diversity into my teaching so all students feel respected. To do so this year I handed out a "Get to Know You Sheet" to all of my students. I asked questions about their likes and interests as well as their families traditions and cultural practices that they celebrate at home. I was extremely pleased to get most of them returned and have already learned an abundance of new information about my students. My hope is to use this information to foster success in the classroom amongst all students in order to have a successful year.
Angelika, It is important that we allow individuals to be themselves and reflect their unique culture rather than conform to the dominant culture.Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
ReplyDeleteAngelika,
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed reading your post. Thanks for the feed back and insights you've shared through out this course. I'm sure I'll see you in future classes. Best of Luck !
Deon