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.