Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/what-is-my-culture/5010151/
What Is My Culture?Programs for young children grow out of the culture that is changing within the classroom and school as the children and adults grow and evolve, as children leave and new staff are integrated. Usually we consider the word culture in reference to skin color, religion, customary beliefs, and social groups. Do we consider childhood a culture? Do we understand that the group of children and teachers within a classroom have their own culture? Do we believe that culture is a part of every child's childhood?
I was surprised to hear a student teacher state that as a young white woman she had no culture. This disturbed me. I began to think about culture and its relation to community and the social groups which make up each classroom, the school itself, and the wider community. I began to think of culture in reference to groups created within the classroom and what this perspective might mean for the children and adults living there.
Of course, differences in culture can mean differences in skin color and gender. But there are many wonderful cultural differences that children bring to school that include everything they do, from ...