A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education

Vaughan M. Blaney
Director
BSc(UNB,Canada), BEd(UNB,Canada), TEFLA(University of Cambridge), MEd(HKU, Hong Kong)

Book: "A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education"

The Letter 'G'...

Girl and boys
Treated with equality
For some this is new
But it's not for me

Gee... we are all different, still all can agree that we:

• gain weight if we eat too much
• know that a frog is green
• feel happy when we receive a gift
• know that the teacher is happy when we are good
• gasp in excitement when there is an eclipse
• know that gold is valuable
• recognize that we live in the age of genetics
• know that 'globalization' has five syllables
• feel happiness when a planted seed germinates
• know how to print the letter G

Whether it be the niches assumed by individual members of royal family or the more democratic choice among "butcher, baker and candlestick maker",every culture feathers a set of roles that must be filled by individuals in each generation and then passed on from one generation to the next. Some roles, such as those of a tribal chief or a singer of tables, are so specific that they are filled by only a single person or a handful of individual: Others, such as a mother or a friend, are widely held positions, which can be assumed by a large proportion of the population. In addition to individually prescribed roles, each culture values certain competences that must be mastered by at least some members of each generation: One could cite the American preoccupation with technological expertise, the Japanese valuation of social finesse, the Balinese concern with artistic achievement. Some of the skills required for fulfilling these roles or mastering these competences contribute to survival in a direct sense whereas others provide the less tangible, but equally important sinew that allows a culture to function smoothly. Failure to acquire the relevant roles or skills severely limits the realization of the potential of an individual, a group, or the overall culture. 

Gardner, Howard