Educational issues on culture and Identity

Schools within Sydney are occupied with an abundance of different cultures and identities, which also essentially brings forth an even greater variation of intersections of social economic status (SES). (DEFINE SES) Sydney and Australia as a whole have produced PISA results which demonstrate relatively low levels of equity between students, in comparison to many other developed nations worldwide (Thomson, et al., 2010). Therefore, this issue may be approached by addressing any inequities of social justice within the educational system, in regards to the relationship between culture, identity and SES.

The social justice perspective on education derives from the idea that particular students are disadvantaged within the school environment due to social reasons rather than individual reasons. Culture therefore falls under this category of social reasons, due to the varying different backgrounds and situations which may give particular students advantages or disadvantages within the education system. For example, a student who comes from a family who is working class, speaks English as a second language and was born in another country (overall lower level of SES) is likely to be more disadvantaged than a large portion of other students. Students who come from other countries are also more likely to struggle to find their own identity within a new country, as they have had to adapt to Australia, but no longer feel the same connection to their originating country. This idea is complemented by White (1982) when he states "The higher the SES of the student's family, the higher his academic achievement. This relationship... seems to hold no matter what measure of status is used". This is the situation for many students within Sydney and Australia as a whole.

Stewart (2012) describes social justice as both the process and goal which aims to successfully seek equal participation and opportunity within a society in order to mutually meet their needs. The struggle for teachers to accommodate for such students in this circumstance is what Murray (2011) (INSERT VASS 2012, from week 8 readings) suggests as the fact that 90% of teachers are from a white, middle class, non-urban background (relatively high SES). Within any given circumstance, it is much more difficult for people from a dominant group to consider disadvantaged circumstances, as they usually will not have experienced similar obstacles. The fact that many teachers come from a relatively high SES may lead to a large number of situations where teachers are unable empathise and accommodate for students from these disadvantaged situations and in turn, create even further marginalisation for these students within the classroom. Murray therefore suggests a three-fold approach suggesting that schools should adopt "an ongoing dialogue among staff that helps each person see beyond their own perspective, creating a schoolwide team committed to educating others about relevant issues of equity and social justice". Murray explains how this would be achieved through the implementation of initiatives such as social justice education, development of equity teams, and active engagement in open discourse.

Inequities within the education system are not entirely a result of one's culture and identity, but may be even further marginalised if the non-hegemonic cultures are from a lower SES. Therefore, it is essential that schools address these inequalities by taking on a greater social justice perspective on the ways in which these institutions are run, in order to increase the seemingly low levels of equity of achievement within Sydney.

References
Murray, O. (2011). A Call for K-12 Schools to Invest in Social Justice Education. The Education Digest, 76(5), 60-64.

Stewart, D. L. (2012). Promoting Moral Growth Through Pluralism and Social Justice Education. New Directions for Student Services, 2012(139), 1-103.

Thomson, S., De Bortoli, L., Nicholas, M., Hillman, K., & Buckley, S. (2010). PISA in Brief.
Highlights From the Full Australian Report: Challenges for Australian Education: Results from PISA 2009. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research. Retrieved on 4/9/2013 from http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/PISA-2009-In-Brief.pdf

White, K. R. (1982). The Relation Between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement. Psychological Bulletin, 91(3), 461-481
 

A reflection of your own experiences of culture and identity in relation to

education

Culture and identity both play as highly influential factors of one's experience of education,

which may be attributed as a result of the individual's own culture, as well as one's

exposure to multiple different cultures. Students who attend school are more than likely to

not only gain an education, but also utilise the opportunity to branch out from their own

culture at home and experience the vast numbers of varied cultures within Australia's

schools in particular. Therefore, education plays an important role in exposing people from

a young age to the various different cultures that we essentially must interact and work

with once reaching young adulthood.

My experience within the education system has allowed for my own exposure to many

different cultures, and it has given me the understanding that culture is heavily influential

on a person's identity. Whilst at school, I can remember people from various cultures that

would tend to dress and talk similarly, as well as enjoying similar recreational activities that

better fitted their own distinct culture. For example, Wadham, Pudsy & Boyd (2007) use

the term "identity markers" to describe particular elements and traits of individuals, which

are used to identify and distinguish between them from others. Identity markers such as

skin colour, types of clothing and hairstyles may all be derived from the culture that the

particular individual originates from, which essentially demonstrates how culture plays

such a large role in shaping an individual's identity. However, the issue that such an

experience at school poses is the fact that these generalisations can lead to negative

stereotyping and prejudice within the school environment, as well as once students finish

school and move to higher education or the workforce. Schools should therefore ensure

that students also learn about the consequences and effects of such racial acts.

During my schooling life, it also appeared that culture was usually only associated with

non-western or minority groups. This may be as a result of how Phillips (2006) describes

culture as less visible to those who are part of the hegemonic culture within the social

context. This however, may lead to positive or negative effects to students of minority

groups within schools. It would work to a students advantage if the individual showed pride

in their culture, as being separated from the hegemonic culture would allow for the cultural

aspect of their life to be a much more (as Phillips states) "defining part of their identity and

being". The disadvantages of this for students is the fact that it allows for greater potential

for emotional harm from racism, and therefore, a further reason why schools should be

ensuring that students are being adequately educated on the effects of racism within and

outside the school environment.

Culture and identity therefore are defining aspects of people's experiences within

education, and it is clearly evident that within schools, students are exposed to a broad

range of cultures and identity. Is is then of great importance for our society on a micro and

macro level to address any issues of racism and cultural awareness within the education

system.

References

Phillips, A. (2006). What is 'Culture?'. London, UK: Routledge. 15-29.

Wadham, B., Pudsey, J. & Boyd, R. (2007). What is Culture? Culture and Education, 1-33.

Racism in education

As a growing multicultural country, Australian educational institutions have experienced an influx of immigrant students from various cultural backgrounds and inevitably racism and conflicts will occur within the educational environment and also the external environment that will in turn affect the student’s performance in school due to clash of interests, and opposing notions. Furthermore, stereotypical racial comments may interfere with optimal educational outcomes. Educational t outside the school grounds can lead to certain behavioural or outlooks towards school. aspects are not independent from factors outside, as the video below explores how an even

The video from News Corp (2013) explores a conflict between a boy of Asian descent and a 50 year old racist “white” woman that started from him blocking her view. Then, it sprouted into a barrage of racial slurs against the young man. Even though the event unfolded in an environment beyond the school, it is not difficult to imagine that there are people as such within the supposedly safe school environments, whether they are teachers or students. Also, through this we may be able to infer that such verbal attacks not only insult the school boy but also may change his perspective towards the “white” Australian cohorts that attend school with him. This is extremely detrimental towards the schooling system as it promotes conflicts between different racial or cultural groups, and can lead to a string of bullying within the school environment. Therefore, it is essential to recognise that an external factor can play a huge role within education and also that it is important to stamp out racism in and out of the schooling environment.

We know that racism, active or passive can be easily detected by the person on the receving end and has a negative effect on an individual’s schooling experience and ultimately their results in school. However, this can extend past the educational stages of the student when they are in the real world and have to deal with multiculturalism. If the schools do not educate and promote the acceptance of other parties from different cultural and racial backgrounds, the future society would be plagued with racism and prejudice. The issue of racism should be addressed at a young age before it blooms into an uncontrollable corporate or state issue.

As stated by Marx (2006), a teacher might have some sort of passive racism and this might not be shown through their behaviour towards the students in particular, but their notions and their actions towards the particular student compared to other students may be different due to their lack of understanding of the particular culture and out of will, their actions may show signs of racism.

Therefore, it is vital to recognise that educators of the 21^st century should not only be successful in educating students of their own background, but also develop an extensive understanding of the various educational needs that accompany the cultural and racial differences between students in a classroom. Also, teachers need to learn to eliminate bias within the classroom, whether it is race, gender or religion to promote a healthy and enriching environment with understanding and tolerance towards one another. Furthermore, the educational reforms to address racism and other biasness within the schooling environment will in turn lead up to a much more acceptant and tolerant society.

 Reference

1.      Marx, S, 2006, Revealing the invisible, Taylor & Francis Group, New York.

2.      News Corp 2013, School boy racially abused by 50-year-old woman on Sydney bus, Matt Young, Sydney, viewed 22 September 2013. <http://www.news.com.au/national-news/school-boy-racially-abused-by-50-year-old-woman-on-sydney-bus/story-fncynjr2-1226657226955#ooid=VrMjk1YzoZ4Lf6ow2xKe7eGhF3c56ffp>.

Xenophobia = Racism?

About 2 weeks ago, I posted this status update on Facebook. Originally just a result of my personal reflections, the lecture given by Ms Karen Oliver last Thursday resurfaced my interest in the issue, and I decided to further explore it on one of my blog posts. I wanted to examine the way in which national identity and culture, seen as the basis of xenophobia, is akin to racism, as both are based on socially constructed cultural categories and lead to discrimination and prejudice, albeit according to seemingly different criteria.

I found this comment by Shah Salimat (2013), a blogger writing for Yahoo! News Singapore (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/comment--xenophobia-and-the-jollibee-backlash-153822168.html) very relevant. He refers to the outburst of seemingly xenophobic sentiment in response to the opening of a new Philippines fast food chain, Jollibee, in Singapore, and attempts to find a rational historical and political explanation for this phenomena. He states that race has been institutionalised in Singapore, and the fixed Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Others categories present throughout Singaporean politics have led to the hostile reactions to an influx of foreigners who fail to fit easily within these stereotypical categories. One interesting point that he raises is that "racialisation's one-way view is akin to the heart-thumping message of nationalism, and nationalism is too easily labeled as xenophobia". My question to this would be, how great, really, is the distinction between racialisation, nationalism, and xenophobia? And is this a difference that is perceived to be greater than it really is?

Lentin and Titley (2011) argue that while racism is assumed to be non-existent in current-day politics, it is still present, albeit masquerading as cultural prejudice and discrimination. They suggest that although racial language has fallen out of use in the Western context, the concepts and ideas of race still persist in the Western imagination. One way in which they describe it to exist is in the shape of a preservation of national culture and "shared values". In Salimat's comment, (2013) he mentions the semantic move from the use of "multi-racial" to "multi-cultural" in political discourse. This evidences how race is substituted for culture, as Lentin and Titley (2011) have pointed out. However, Salimat (2013) does recognise the need for "understanding how races think and act" even with this shift of emphasis on "melding cultures".

Some, such as Christopher Caldwell (cited by Lentin and Titley, 2011: 52) limit racism to being "tied to skin color and phenotype" and therefore exclude other bases of discrimination from its definitive categories. This frees him to make arguments that oppose cultural difference and which paint negatively the effects of immigration. He therefore argues for what can be called the 'Muslim problem' (2011: 51), caused by the increase in Muslim immigrants to Europe. According to Lentin and Titley (2011: 61), Caldwell argues that “immigration… corrodes European civilisation from the inside”. This argument is problematic because firstly, it stereotypes the nature of immigrants as “natural, inherent, and homogenous” (Lentin and Titley, 2011: 62).

Secondly, the concept of a constant, “European civilisation” is based on the fictive concept of national culture. Benedict Anderson (1983) defines nationhood as an imaginary and constructed concept. It is therefore problematic to base one’s arguments against immigration on the maintenance of a ‘national culture’, whether ‘European civilisation’ or ‘Singaporean culture’.

Whether using the basis of national culture or race, both arguments against immigration are likewise untenable and problematic.

Bibliography

Anderson, B. (1983). Imagined Communities. London: Verso.

Lentin, A., & Titley, G. (2011). The Crises of Multiculturalism: Racism in a neoliberal age. London: Zed Books Ltd.

Salimat, S. (2013, March 13). COMMENT: Xenophobia and the Jollibee backlash. Retrieved from Yahoo News Singapore: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/comment--xenophobia-and-the-jollibee-backlash-153822168.html

Fake Accents

                Intrigued by the video found here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPCXixIY2kw), I did a search and found this article by Daily Mail Reporter (2013) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2302972/One-people-change-accent-sound-posh-job-chat-survey-finds.html), which shines light on the issue of people taking on a “fake accent” in order to increase their chances of getting a job or attractiveness to the opposite gender. I explore the way accents may be indicative of one’s racial disposition and their correlated standing within society, and suggest that it is a phenomenon which is easily overlooked due to its non-overt or passive nature.

Accents as racial markers

                Deprez-Sims and Morris (2010: 418) suggest that an accent “refers to a distinctive way of speaking associated with a particular group of people”. While everyone has an accent, the major distinctions are between “local” and “foreign” accents. Accents are therefore important in the social categorization of people into different social groups. In fact, a social psychological study shows that it may even be more important than appearance such as skin colour or facial features, accents are perceived as signifiers of one’s racial background, and therefore provide some basis for the classification of people into racial categories (Rakic, Steffens, & Mummendey, 2011).

                Working in tandem with this categorization is a framework of superiority being granted to the dominant racial group. Zeus Leonardo (2013: 137) writes about the presence of “white privilege” and a “white racial hegemony” within academic discourse. He argues that while “white racial domination” may exist prior to our time, it is constantly being recreated and reproduced at both an “individual and institutional level” (Leonardo, 2013: 139). In some places – such as Australia or the US, people possessing a ‘white’ accent may be privileged over others because it places them within the dominant racial category. Vass (2012: 3) calls this categorization of people the making of “a racialised cultural landscape”.

Vass’ (2012) argument is that schools operate as “a function of White property” and deploy “racialised grammars”. Within this landscape, politics based on racial assumptions occur, and a dominant race is privileged over others. While it may not be overtly racist, the privileging of a certain accents over others seems to enter into the discourse of a passive form of racism. The fixed categories of race are not questioned, and the disparate privileging of persons is not adequately addressed. As a Singaporean Chinese, while I may possess certain physical traits that are alike to a person from Chinese descent born and raised in China, my accent is drastically different from theirs. This simple example immediately problematizes the idea that race is a fixed or clearly bounded category. More than that, the people are aware of their own accents, and sometimes aim to associate themselves with the dominant ‘racial group’, as I suggest is the aim of taking on a ‘fake accent’.

It seems that copying the accent of the dominant racial group may, however, achieve the opposite. Unless the accent is a perfect copy of the ‘original’, people may ‘see through’ the act and ‘call their bluff’, and there is no switch between racial categories.

Bibliography

Daily Mail Reporter. (2013, April 2). Our great posh pretence: One in five people change their accent to sound more posh to get a job or chat someone up, survey finds. Retrieved September 18, 2013, from Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2302972/One-people-change-accent-sound-posh-job-chat-survey-finds.html

Deprez-Sims, A., & Morris, S. B. (2010). Accents in the workplace: Their effects during a job interview. International Journal Of Psychology, 45(6), 417-426. doi:10.1080/00207594.2010.499950

Gluszek, A., & Dovidio, J. F. (2010). The Way They Speak: A Social Psychological Perspective on the Stigma of Nonnative Accents in Communication. Pers Soc Psychol Rev, 14(2), 214-237. doi: 10.1177/1088868309359288

Leonardo, Z. (2004). The Color of Supremacy: Beyond the discourse of ‘white privilege’. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 36(2), 137-152, DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-5812.2004.00057.x

Nguyen, H. T. (2012). What role do race, ethnicity, language and gender play in the teaching profession?. Race Ethnicity and Education, 15(5), 653-681. doi: 10.1080/13613324.2011.624504

Rakic, T., Steffens, M., Mummendey, A. (2011). Blinded by the Accent! The Minor Role of Looks in Ethnic Categorization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(1), 16-29, doi: 10.1037/a0021522

A reflection of my own experiences of culture and identity at school

An individual’s experiences at school can be directly or indirectly influenced by their cultural and identity groups that they are associated with or choose to be. However, at the same time, schooling experiences can shape and mould an individual’s identity, primarily from the exposure to different groups of students and people; school can shape or change one’s sense of identity. However, it is important to understand that whilst educational experiences may be subjected to culture and identity, vice versa, a student’s experience at school ultimately depends on their relations and interactions with their school community.

I studied in a single sex public school in the western suburbs of Sydney whereby students of Asian descent populated the school. There were a high number of LBOTE students within the school. For me, this meant an easier transition from Hong Kong and also a schooling environment that appreciates and understands the cultural background of Chinese students. However, when I enrolled in the school I realised that it was otherwise. Within the school, there was an obvious segregation between student’s backgrounds, the Lebanese students stayed together, the Anglo students stayed together and also there was an obvious outcast of the Chinese and Korean students that did not play sport nor spoke English. When I first came into the school, I decided that I would be a lot more comfortable sticking with people from my background, to speak my home language at school.

However, this did not really help me in my schooling experiences, being a relatively active kid, I was always eager and keen to play sports, however, I found that the group that I hung around with rarely went to sport, and classes in general, as their truancy rates are really high, I recall having truanted for about 3 weeks.  I woke up to myself and decided to be more engaged in school, begin to learn the Australian culture and also the slangs; from there I started playing rugby and formed new friendships with other students from a plethora of different cultural backgrounds.  This opened my world up a whole new level and having friends from different cultural backgrounds really have shaped the person that I have become today. For example, we might go to one of our friends’ homes and every different home I visited I was treated extremely nicely with respect and also had an overview of the different practices at home and different values. This multicultural experience expanded my views and outlooks upon society and also of the people around me.  After year 12, the whole grade has pretty much befriended each other except for the odd few, not due to any cultural differences, but instead the identity that the individual student has chosen to uptake, for example, being  arrogant, aggressive and a snob in school would mean that you would be outcast from student groups.

Therefore, it is essential to recognise that whilst culture and identity shapes the schooling experience, it does not define how your schooling experience should be. Instead, it is how a student carries himself or herself within the school community (Boyd et al., 2007) that shapes the experience of school and the schooling experience will also in turn expose and shape the student.

Reference

1.      Boyd, R, Pudsey, J & Wadham, B 2007, What is Culture?, Pearson Education, Sydney.