Na’ilah Suad Nasir & Victoria M. Hand Exploring Sociocultural Perspectives on Race, Culture, and Learning

Main Goal Understand how race and culture play a role in learning Understand sociocultural theory Explore how tools developed by sociocultural theories of learning are useful in studying race, culture, learning, and school achievements.

Understanding Race and Culture in terms of Learning Biological Deficit models Cultural Deficit Models Understanding schooling environment Intersectionality- multiple marginalized aspects Culture is not Race

Concepts: Sociocultural Theory “Sociocultural perspectives examine the roles of social and cultural processes as mediators of human activity and thought.” (458) Development on multiple levels Cultural practices Cultural tools and artifacts Social others and social interactions

Multiple Levels Vygotsky’s 4 Planes Microgenetic Level-moment to moment Ontogenetic Level-life course Cultural/Historical Level-society structures and norms Evolutionary Level-adaptation of human species First 3 explain how and individual is created through activity

Multiple Levels: Race, Culture, & Learning All levels must be studied together Change in Cultural/Historical Level results in a change in Ontogenetic and Microgenetic Levels. i.e. status shift between racial groups.

Cultural Practices Means to analyze cultural norms and expectations, artifacts and conventions, and community organization Activity Theory- goal directed Learning is situated within the culture Activity is mediated by social, historical, and cultural factors

Cultural Practice: Race, Culture, and Learning Race affects access and performance of activities Understanding the “learning styles” Race becomes a part of the experience Culture-Free Classroom?

Tools and Artifacts Artifacts encountered on a daily basis Culturally produced internalization Important to how we develop and learn i.e. Language Bridge between social and individual

Tools and Artifacts: Race, Culture, and Learning Symbolic tools Artifacts can also be culturally held ideas that structure human interaction. i.e. Gender constraints How we carry meaning across time Certain races are able to participate and others are not Example: African American language in school

Social Interactions How social others affect an individual’s development and learning Distributed Cognition- cognition is distributed across individuals; human cognition is socially distributed Learning is created by shifting relations between individual and communities

Social Interaction: Race, Culture, and Learning Interaction between the student and teacher i.e. teacher’s preconceptions about a certain race How teachers and institutions view students affects the students as learners

In Relation to the Learning Center Social relation with other kids from the center Use of language to facilitate learning Vygotsky’s 4 planes