Literature Across Cultures: Brown, Hali: Question on Readings

Monday, June 3, 2024

Brown, Hali: Question on Readings

Hello all,

The article by Jocelyn Glazier and Jung-A Seo stood out the most to me. I believe this was because, as mentioned throughout the article, I was more able to connect the information in this article to my own experiences. The article describes how “majority students often feel “cultureless” (Glazier and Seo, 2005).” It explains a student, Mark, who is not able to connect the literature that he reads to his own personal experiences (Glazier and Seo, 2005). Before taking my Human Relations class that helped me discover more about my own family culture and social culture, I would have been able to relate to Mark as a white American with a difficult-to-define culture. The class had me research my own family to help me try to figure out my culture. However, I still have some difficulties trying to define my own culture. My question to all of you is: How do we make sure majority students discover their own culture so that they do not feel “cultureless” when reading and discussing multicultural literature?

Glazier, J., & Seo, J.-A. (2005). Multicultural literature and discussion as mirror and window? Minority students in one U.S. high school class find their voices, but the majority students have a different experience. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(8), 686+. https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.morningside.edu/apps/doc/A132746287/PPPC?u= morningside&sid=bookmark-PPPC&xid=61f53cd6.

4 comments:

Kaetlyn.MinklerJune 4, 2024 at 1:47 PM
Hi Hali!
I read your post, and found it interesting that you identified with Mark and his challenge to define his culture as well. This really struck me when I was reading, because I tried to define my own culture and couldn't. I am not sure in which discipline you teach, but if I were teaching this to upper elementary students, I might start with a unit on culture. This would help us to define what it means, what culture consists of, and to maybe do a research project on our own cultures, like you did in your Human Relations class. Then, hopefully students will be slightly more aware of their own culture before reading, so that they do not feel left out in discussion like Mark did. What are your thoughts on this? Would this have helped you as a student?
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Brenna LJune 4, 2024 at 3:09 PM
Kaetlyn,
I can also relate to difficulty in defining my own culture just like you and Hali. I think your suggestion of exploring more deeply what culture is defined as and what it consists of would be greatly beneficial. I think it would be especially important to complete and introduce this unit on culture before reading multicultural books with the class so that they can more effectively see the text as both a window and a mirror. I also recommend having students record experiences they feel are significant in their lives but also any family traditions they do and create a whole-group discussion/conversation on where these traditions may have come from and if it represents a part of their culture.
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Kirsten CampbellJune 4, 2024 at 8:36 PM
Hi Hali!
I find it interesting that you also related to Mark. I am glad I am not the only one who is unsure about their own culture.
Kaetlyn,
I like the project idea because it can be a lot of fun, but what if there are students like us who do not know what their culture is? Recently, at 21 years old, I did a 23 and Me test and found out the percentage of ethnicities I am. It was cool to discover that I am Scandinavian, Irish, and Greek, but that knowledge did not change how it defined my culture.
Brenna,
I do like the idea of introducing the unit with multicultural books so they can see a window and mirror of culture. I also like how you mention how family traditions represent a part of culture. The people who surround you create an impact more than what you are born as.
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Post Week 4: Pre- and Post-Conceptual Perspectives

Some thoughts to help you brainstorm your post: Nineteenth-century travel writing caused those who read about other cultures to formulate their ideas about those cultures directly from the writing, so much so that if a person chose to travel to a country he or she had read about prior to travel, the traveller was often disappointed in the actual country and culture. In our current technological existence, our ideas of what places and people are like can certainly be informed by how they are depicted in text and on the multitude of screens we use to interface with the world. What informs your perspective? How might the ways in which we experience people, ideas, issues, cultures, and so on, be impacted by how we learn of them? Are the benefits and drawbacks to the use of the technology available to us? What might some of those be, and why?

Your post is due Thursday at 8 pm.

Responses should be posted by Sunday at 10 pm.

Post Week 2: The Way to Rainy Mountain

The critical text which accompanies your primary reading for the week explores ways in which we as teachers might use other cultures' literatures in our classrooms to move students from superficial, stereotyped perspectives to a fuller understanding of not only individuals from other cultures, but themselves, too. In your blog post, share with your colleagues how you might incorporate ideas from the article in your own teaching.

Your post is due Thursday at 8 pm.

Your responses are due Sunday at 10 pm.

Post Week 1: Questions on Reading

You've been asked to post a question on the readings as your blog post. Here are some ideas to help you get started: You may have noted the publication dates of the readings and wondered why you're reading articles written in 2005. The reason is that the issues raised and discussion in each of the articles are applicable 16 years later. Do you agree? Disagree? Both? Explain why and pose a question to help your reader understand what you find to be the same or different. Or, if one of the two of the readings stands out to you, explain why that’s the case, but also post a question based on what stands out. Or, if something is confusing or problematic for you, what do you find confusing or problematic? With what do you agree or disagree? Be sure your question is open ended so that your colleagues can use it as a basis for discussion.

As you frame your question, be sure to summarize the article, then provide context for your question. Cite the text appropriately.

Questions to be posted by Thursday.

Responses (to at least two colleagues) to be posted Sunday.

Week 5: Toward a Social Justice Ethic: What is an American, Anyway?

How do the issues examined in the article affect you as a teacher and as a person living in today’s world? What is the importance of having a voice? Of being heard? Are there differences in your response based on the role(s) you inhabit? Teacher, parent, individual community member, brother, sister, child, global citizen, and more—we inhabit many subject positions. Are there ways to bring those needs/expectations/responsibilities together?

Posts are due by 8 pm Thursday.

There is no set number of required colleague responses this week, but you are expected to read all posts and to respond as class discussion.

Post Week 6: Article Summaries and Commentary

In this week's reading, you met a narrator who draws the reading into a short story with a decidedly hushed, slower tone. The couple introduced to us has experienced an unimaginable loss. How might that loss be affected by their cultural dislocation? Draw on the supplemental readings as you consider the question.

Your post is due Thursday at 8 pm. As was the case last week, there is not a set number of responses, but you are expected to demonstrate through responding that you have read and engaged with all class posts.