Aden Bowman Collegiate August 20, 2014 PEER LEADER TRAINING Aden Bowman Collegiate August 20, 2014

SASKATOON OPEN DOOR SOCIETY presented by SASKATOON OPEN DOOR SOCIETY CULTURAL BRIDGING PROGRAM This program is supported by MISSION AND VISION OF SODS

TOPICS What is Identity? Culture and Self Individualist vs Collectivist Culture Low Context/ High Context Cultures Collectivism in Education Some Things to Remember

WHAT IS IDENTITY? Our sense of self The way we see ourselves as individuals The way we interact with others Within our first culture and other cultures

ACTIVITY

CULTURE AND SELF Individualist cultures nurture an individual’s personal identity Collectivist cultures favour group identity.

Culture and the Self

Individualism and Collectivism in Education Individualist Perspective Collectivist Perspective Students work independently; helping others may be cheating Students engage in discussion and argument to learn to think critically Property belongs to individuals, and others must ask to borrow it Teacher manages the school environment indirectly and encourages student self – control Parents are integral to child's academic progress and participate actively Students work with peers and provide assistance when needed Students are quiet and respectful in class in order to learn more efficiently. Property is communal. Teacher is the primary authority, but peers guide each other's behavior. Parents yield to teacher's expertise to provide academic instruction and guidance. Parents from some Hispanic cultures tend to regard teachers as experts and will often defer educational decision making to them (Valdés, 1996) In contrast, European American parents are often more actively involved in their children's classrooms, are visible in the classrooms, or volunteer and assist teachers. Educators need to understand individual histories and ideologies regarding education and learning as well as the cultural patterns and beliefs of groups.

Example of high context cultures: Korea, Vietnam, China, Japan, Middle East, Latin America Examples of low context cultures: Canada, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Europe America, Great Britain Verbal and non verbal communication is affected by cultural context. In high context cultures, people rely a lot more on the overall situation (eg non-verbal cues and the other person’s background) to interpret messages. In contrast, low context cultures, people depend more on the explicit verbal content of messages. Example Canadian Culture: most info are explicitly stated: apologize – high context: smile, sigh, frown; low – need to say “Im Sorry” Directness, openness, spontaneity and casualness are preferred Relationships are more informal Independence, self-determination and personal confidence are highly values in work situations

SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER Culture is learned and continuously changing. Individuals will exhibit traits of both kinds of culture depending on the situation they find themselves in Cultural frameworks such as these are meant as broad definitions understanding they are not stereotypes. If you feel a little oddness between yourself and classmate it’s probably not personal its cultural difference.

Questions?