The main aim of education is to foster knowledge, understanding and confidence. Whether the education system allows for the achievement of this goal needs deeper delving into the subject. There are several influences on the receivers’ mind that shape their perception of their environment and its components. Among these influences cultural background is a dominant one. It would not be an exaggeration to consider culture as a forceful indicator of perception levels in an individual. To understand this further it becomes imperative to have a clear understanding of the term culture.
Culture is not an isolated entity. In fact it is an amalgamation of various elements that give a structure and meaning to one’s identity. It is difficult to define culture objectively because it is a multi-dimensional concept. However it could be defined as the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving. Culture in its broadest sense is cultivated behavior; that is the totality of a person’s learned, accumulated experience which is socially transmitted, or more briefly, behavior through social learning. In nutshell it is a comprehensive system of beliefs, notions and perceptions that give a distinct identity to a particular group and distinguishes it from others.
If this is culture then diversity is its inherent component. Cultural differences are manifested in many ways. These differences could range from variations in national and regional cultures to differences in gender, social and generational perspectives. This cultural diversity becomes a challenge when it has to be dealt with in a varied group. A simple example would be taking into account the meaning of different symbols in different cultures. What might be acceptable in one culture might be objectionable in another. Therefore communication strategies assume utmost significance in this context. The way is message is propagated would make the real difference. It is the presence of this diversity and the need to handle it efficiently which forms the background of Rafael Rodriguez four challenges of cultural diversity. These challenges are cultural identity, the universality of languages, the right to equality and culture as a condition for development.
The aforementioned challenges of cultural diversity are built on the edifice of a strong rationale. Cultural identity in itself is not just a singular, objective and identifiable identity of an individual. An individual could have multiple identities and at the same time all these identities a symphony of a solid personal identity. To make the message more clear it could be said that one could call himself an American, a Californian, a Christian and a liberal at the same time. Each of these identities defines one’s stature in different contexts but every identity can be viewed both as an independent as well as a cohesive part of the other.
The universality of languages would stand as a symbol of cultural divide for some. However at the broader level it seems like a unification strategy rather than the other way round. Universal languages do not take away a sense of national and regional identity from one. In fact they become a connecting link between various cultures. Cultural diversity is one big factor that shapes a group’s individual identity giving it a sense of belonging to its roots. Consequently this gives it a distinctive personality to stand at par with others, thus instilling a strong sense of right to equality. Culture is not static. It is in fact ever-evolving. The process of cultural evolution is the means of further enrichment as well as emancipation in social, political and economic contexts as well. But this overall development can only happen if cultural diversity is seen as a motivator and not a deterrent to cultural ramification.
In a multi-culture society like America, cultural diversity becomes both a challenge and an opportunity for educational institutions. The plethora of cultural identities defined by different languages, understanding, social status, educational background, ethnicity among other elements pose a big challenge for the teaching system as well as the teacher. The same cultural diversity also becomes the source of greater introspection of the educational policies. It is this realization that has been the basis of many initiatives to reform the educational system. The key objective of most of these efforts has been to make the educational experience pleasant for most children coming from diverse cultural backgrounds.
There has been a strong emphasis on shaping the cognitive skills of students with a more flexible approach. In fact the system has exhibited serious concerns by accommodating the cultural differences and their repercussions in a way that the children do not look at them as hurdles but facilitators in the entire process of learning. Development of empathy towards these cultural factors has not only brought policy changes in the education system but initiatives in the form of workshops and training sessions to sensitize the instructors as well as guide them to use more practical methods to deal with this multi-cultural environment.
Children from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds are capable of achieving high standards and should be encouraged and taught to do so.. Although academic learning is a primary goal of education and the focus of educational reform efforts, ideas about how best to achieve this goal need to be broadened to include children’s participation in learning, their self-confidence as students, and their capacity to work effectively with other children and with adults. All children can benefit from exposure to multilingual and multicultural learning environments.
Cultural diversity can bring more range in the total learning process and because of its inherent characteristic to attain equilibrium it is the means to overall development. The incorporation of this concept in the educational scenario is a step towards broadening of perspectives. The different linguistic and cultural backgrounds affect the skills and expectations of children when they join school. Clarity on this diversity would bring more focus on the real goals of education.
References
The definition of Culture. Hofstede, G. (1997), Web.
The challenge of culture diversity, Web.
The National Academy of Sciences (1994), The challenge of culture diversity in Cultural Diversity and Early Education, Web.