L08 : Deep Culture in the Elementary Classroom

What can we possibly gain by learning about other cultures, or even teaching about them in a classroom? Well, the answer is as simple as it is important to the health of societies everywhere: Progress. 

It's been established that, by even learning a second language, physical and cognitive changes in our brains allow us to process information in a more effective way.

Similar results can be found in history, by studying the reasons why some cultures strived and evolve, and others were simply conquered by the first ones. 

It was the inclusion or assimilation of ideas and culture, what proved to be detrimental in the fields of innovation and change on the superpowers of the day. They simply took the best from other cultures, and turn them into opportunities for, among other things, territorial and political advancements. 

Back when I was in school, deep culture meant to point the Tower of Pizza in Italy on a map, or describe the seemingly primitive people in Africa in a picture, but we would never discuss anything beyond a colorful aspect of a distant society. We never talked about why a Muslim woman on her traditional attire was considered odd while seeing a Catholic nun, dressed almost identically, was normal.

Tolerance and understanding are illiteracy's first victims.

I understand the need to go beyond this. It is always overwhelming to see people cry, or to laugh hysterically, regardless of what country they are from. There is a human connection made between us by witnessing these situations, that reminds us that we share not only gestures, and physical features, but also the pursuit of values such as family, peace, love etc. 

At the same time, two people can have a different perception of the same event. Why? Different conditions may have played a role in each individual's life. These paradigms can create a wedge in both subjects, or provide the opportunity for growth and betterment, but only education can guide the two to a proper outcome. 

The school has a privileged seat in the child's development. It would be unfair to elude this opportunity, to provide the students with the first encounters with other culture but at an age-appropriate level. 

This last concept needs to be addressed, since the material intended to be thought-provoking in middle school, would not be helpful in kindergarten. 

The ultimate goal of going deeper in describing other culture should be tolerance. The more we talk about other people's values can only show us that we should respect those ideas and ways of living, and the simple act of making sense out of them is literally making us better prepared to deal with ourselves and others.