Education and Cultural Context

It's hot here. I hear it got up to 101 today. It's so hot that I feel like I'm in the middle of a Tennessee Williams play.

If I use that reference in my home, I don't think my husband and sons will understand. The boys have studied some literature, but I don't know if they've covered Tennessee Williams. My husband is from southeast Asia and even after many years in the U.S. that's the culture he knows.

Knowledge isn't just a conglomeration of facts and figures. Our experiences, both cultural and personal, add color and depth to our knowledge. Sometimes I like to get down with my fellow baby boomers, you know? We know how to groove and we understand what's happening. And nobody wants to be a square.

The cultural impact on knowledge is seen most often in standardized tests. I've seen it especially in the social studies section, though the pictures for the early elementary students can also be misleading. I remember one question--What is the oldest religion? My Muslim students answered as they were taught. Islam is the oldest religion because it is submission to the Creator. The correct answer, of course, was Hinduism. So when the results were tabulated my students lost one point right there.

We teach as we have been taught. And all of us are teachers. We influence our coworkers, our neighbors, even our friends.

Cultural context is something we need to watch out for. It will help us avoid conflicts and ridiculous arguments over trivial matters.

If we don't we will never speak the same language.