Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

                                                          By Lisa Martin

I asked several friends and relatives for their definition of culture and diversity and received a variety of responses. I chose a few responses from people of different age groups and cultures, and in some ways their answers reflected what I am being taught, and some made me think further about culture. Almost everyone saw diversity as the differences among people and groups, and part of what makes this country great. Here are a few samples of the responses I received.

C.S. says “customs and beliefs held by a group”

H.A, says “Culture is the capabilities and habits acquired by people as a member of society.”

J.D. “Knowing your heritage and all that this includes, and not allowing others to destroy it”

A. G. “Culture is defined as the understanding of who a person is via music, ethnicity, social beliefs, values. For example, I am of Southern and West Indian descent, so my combined cultures center on food, family, education, faith, and hard work.”

C. F. “Culture to me is when a group of people share in a common interest or background and participate in very similar behaviors because of that common interest.”

My Italian-American friend J.D. gave a rather long answer and I did not include his entire response above, but his main concern was the importance of knowing your culture and history. He also warned how easy it is for your culture to be portrayed falsely and turned into something it is not. He sighted television shows like The Sopranos and The Jersey shore as denigrating the Italian culture. Knowing the culture and age of the people that provided the answers, made it easier for me to understand exactly what the person wanted to convey. C.F. was the youngest respondent and his response made me think about the cultures we often fail to recognize as such, like the culture of disability or the hip hop culture. These are cultures that do not require us to be of a certain ethnic group or faith. When I tied this answer in with the offering from the eldest respondent it all made sense. Culture is much more than music and art or food, it is about habits and shared attitudes. It is a topic worthy of much thought ad consideration, as we attempt to know each other better and create a more peaceful existence.

On the whole, the answers definitely reflect the idea of surface and deep culture, and the focus seemed to be more so on deep culture as most of the responses referred to values and beliefs. Very few of the respondents looked at their culture in relation to the dominant culture, and I began to wonder how often we really think of our personal culture in terms of the dominant culture. The more I thought about the many definitions of culture I received, the more I thought about the possibilities of what a culture could be, and the immeasurability of diversity.

 

My Family Culture

                             By Lisa Martin

I was asked to tell about what three things I would take with me following a major catastrophe that would force me to relocate to another country.  I can only take three things that will remind me of where I come from and perhaps provide me with some comfort. I am assuming I will be separated from my family and will want to be able to look at a photo of them whenever I want. My first thought was to take my laptop which has lots of photos of family and friends, but I decided I only needed to take one family portrait. The one from my wedding reception before my grandmother, uncles, and aunts passed away, but it would be missing my niece who was not yet born. So in the end I opted for a digital frame containing photos of my happiest family memories, including Christmas as a little girl before my mother died.

The second item I would take is my Bible, because it is my faith that will see me through this ordeal. It will also remind me of my family and our strong belief in God, as well as how my ancestors came to learn about Christianity while being treated in a most un-Godly manner. I will be strengthened by the knowledge of how they suffered and persevered. I will remember getting up early on Sunday and going to church with my mother, and then having brunch at Mike’s diner. All these simple routines meant a great deal to me and remembrance of them will bring me great comfort.

The third thing I would take is my copy of Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech, because it is still the hope and prayer of my people that it will be fully realized someday. My family is very involved in civil rights and social equity. We believe strongly that if we continue to behave in a socially responsible and proactive manner, advocating for the rights of all, there will come a day when there is true equity for all.

As it turns out, in this hypothetical situation I am not to be allowed to maintain possession of all three items, so in the end I will keep my Bible. I was raised to place my trust in God above all else. Faith is the backbone of my family culture, so this is the one item I cannot be without.  I am confident that I can adapt to any situation I find myself in, and I look forward to learning about another culture while teaching them about mine.

The truth of the matter I have come to realize is that my family culture is not full of ancient artifacts or treasures; there are no valuable heirlooms with stories attached being handed down. Sure we have a few family treasures that are worth little, and there are stories attached to each of them, but I do not need the physical item as a reminder. These are stories I have heard all my life, they manage to get recited at least once a year at some family gathering. These bits and pieces of my family history are imbedded in my brain and carved into my heart.

The stories tell me that I come from a strong and proud people, with unique traditions and ways of enjoying our togetherness. We also know that our struggles do not belong solely to us because there are families all over experiencing the same lack of equity, fighting the same good fight. In the end, I am sure the commonality to be found among different cultures does indeed outweigh the differences. However, that is not to say we should not get to know and respect all diversity. The world is so much more interesting and enjoyable because of all the differences.

When I Think of Research…

                                                By Lisa Martin

When I started my class regarding research competency I was full of apprehension. The thought of having to do a research study left me feeling totally overwhelmed and a little scared.  It brought back to me my days as a premed major in college and the required lab classes and lab reports I hated. I took some comfort in the knowledge some of my classmates shared my apprehension. Fortunately, this was not quite like that at all.  Now that I have survived the class and completed a simulated study, I must say it was all I expected and more. Research requires real forethought and planning, as well as constant adaptation, especially in the field of early childhood education and development. I can fully appreciate why researchers are so passionate about their work. You, the researcher are charged with investigating a topic in the hope of shedding light on some phenomenon that can improve the quality of life for children and families, or help teachers find better methods of fostering healthy development in all domains.

For a researcher to be successful in their quest they must be thorough and reflexive in their planning, designing and implementation. It is so important that the researcher know exactly what question he or she most wants to answer or what information they want to provide to the public. Knowing his or her goal, he must identify the best methods for acquiring the data that will prove their theory or hypothesis and answer their research question. During the process of designing  the experiment and selecting the subjects and other participants, the researcher at all times must be cognizant of the need for objectivity and willing to engage in constant self-reflexivity so that at no time is his ego or personal opinions a threat to the validity of the study; nor is there any overt power inequalities. A researcher must never place himself above the study or his participants. For many this can become a real challenge, and interfere with the effectiveness and validity of their research.

I have learned so much in the past eight weeks about experimental design and research tools, and how to read research papers; which will be important to my future success as an early education professional. Understanding how to read research reports and what to look for in a study will prove most valuable to me as these lessons will make me a better consumer of research. After all, our best practices regarding the provision of high quality early education are based on this research. My passion has always been the quality of education received by each child, and the equality and equity of that education afforded to those children considered less fortunate or at risk. This would explain why I found myself far more interested in the ethics and validity of research than the actual methods and statistical analysis. As an early research professional committed to lifelong learning, I have identified yet another hat I must wear – keeper of the standard, approver of the research that dictates my choice of teaching methods. I am glad I had the opportunity to simulate a research study, and get a better understanding of the entire research process, especially those things that can poison the data. The same stereotypes, homogeneity, and inequities we strive to keep out of our classrooms and communities can be entwined in the very research we rely on to operate those classrooms.

I was also impressed with the number of organizations including the government that had adopted rules and policies regarding a code of ethics for the research field especially as it pertains to research involving children.  As I developed my research simulation, I was constantly concerned with and checking for ways to ensure its validity.  It was necessary for me to accept that I may have preconceived notions about certain groups or organizations and confront them head on. It was also important that I use various triangulation methods, as well as objectivity and reflexivity to improve the validity of my study, and make sure that I am lead by the information as it presents itself and not vice versa. A researcher can be their own worst enemy if they try to control the direction of the study. They can alienate participants and violate their rights, or fail to disclose important information or potential for harm to the subjects or participants. Thanks to this course I know the importance of a researcher leaving their ego outside the study area. I have also acquired an interest in actually doing some research.

Research Around the World

                                                By Lisa Martin

For my blog entry I went to the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) and looked at research done by students in Sub-Saharan Africa countries. I was surprised by the variety and quantity of research to be reviewed, so I focused on the countries where I had friends from Ghana and Nigeria. Once again, I was immediately drawn to the fact that the issues they are researching are questions we are investigating here in the United States as well. The various research addressed concerns like better training of non-professionals who work in the early childhood setting, as well as parents, and improving overall administration and oversight of the early childhood education system. While it was comforting to know that the early childhood field all around the globe is facing the same issues, I felt a bit disappointed to realize that the United States is not a clear leader in the field of early education.

I was really touched by Ezirim (1990) who studied how we could use indigenous knowledge through storytelling to promote care and education of the child in a more holistic manner in his thesis titled Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in ECD Training and Services (p. 1). This research may have spoken to me because it is Black History month and I feel that young inner city African- American children do not know their heritage; and knowing it I believe would improve their success in school. “Integrating Indigenous knowledge into education also encourages teachers and students to gain enhanced respect for local culture, its wisdom and its ethics, and provides ways of teaching and learning locally relevant knowledge and skills” (Ezirim, 1990, p. 2). I gained further insight when I read that UNESCO has a whole list of objectives for incorporating indigenous knowledge into education. I am sure many of you try to get parents and grandparents to come in for circle time and tell stories related to their particular culture or heritage, and you should definitely check out the UNESCO objectives. I just feel strongly that for us to increase our cultural competence and foster it in the children we must make it part of the curriculum. It increases communication and opens up dialogue that makes us more connected and empathetic. It is just refreshing and encouraging to know that these concerns are being addressed on an international level.

The sub-Saharan link of ECDVU provided so many interesting research papers. There were topics that touched on my research subject, as well as most of my colleagues’ choices. Overall, I am sure most of the studies mirrored work that was done here in the United States as well. The early education field is constantly changing and evolving all around the world, and thanks to directives from organizations like UNICEF, each country is examining similar problems and areas for improvement.

Reference:

Ezirim, M. (1990).  Integrating indigenous knowledge in ECD training and services. (Master thesis). Retrieved from http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Ezirim%20-%20MP%20Final%20-%20UVic%20LP.pdf

 

 

Research That Benefits Children and Families

                                                            By Lisa Martin

I have no doubt that research involving children and their families often yields positive results, and it was with this belief that I went in search of current research on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  I am one of those people who believe that the diagnosis of ADHD is too quickly assigned and children are medicated without justification. I wanted to know if research supported my theory.

I found a very informative study that involved minimal risk to the children and families. “The Center for Disease Control’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) funded a collaborative research project with the University of South Carolina and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, called Project to Learn about ADHD in Youth (PLAY)” (CDC, 2012 p.1).  One of the key findings did in fact support my theory that some children were incorrectly diagnosed and did not need the medication.

The study population consisted of over 10,000 children from a variety of cultures, demographics and ethnic groups in grades K-6. Teachers and parents were interviewed and questioned about signs and symptoms of ADHD. Based on the screening results the children were broken up into two groups and followed for five years through annual interviews, in-depth assessments, quarterly contacts and semi-annual data collection. The CDC (2012) set out to look at ADHD as a public health issue based on three key areas:    

·        Social and economic  burden of ADHD through the lifespan

·        Epidemiologic issues in ADHD

·        Interventions for ADHD

They also offered necessary actions to address these public health needs (p. 2).

Although, I found the research to be very interesting and informative, in the end ADHD is still very much a mystery.  “There is little concrete knowledge of the degree to which interventions can or do improve the outcome of children with ADHD; nor are there consistent and standardized measures of the impact of the disorder” (CDC, 2012, p. 3).  ADHD is definitely a subject in need of much more research. Research that will develop a tool for diagnosis, and look at the cost or burden not only to the individual, but the family, community and society as well.

Center for Disease Control. (2012). ADHD: Current research – Project to learn about ADHD in youth (PLAY). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/features/ADHDAwarenessWeek/

 

 

My Personal Research Journey

                                        By Lisa Martin

I cannot begin to tell you how apprehensive I was about researching a topic for my current course. I chose a topic that was of interest to me, the effects of maternal absence on the social emotional development of young children age five to eight. My sisters and I fell into this age range when our mother died, and though we turned out fine, I have often wonder what the odds are of children having happy, normal lives without a mother present. I was even able to break my topic down into three subtopics. The first subtopic investigates whether or not children whose mothers are not present in the home are more likely to demonstrate behavioral problems in school, specifically a lack of self-control and acting out. The second subtopic raises the question of whether or not children raised in foster care environments have difficulty forming friendships and relationships in general.  The third subtopic looks at whether maternal absence increases resilience.

Unfortunately, I am having difficulty finding current research on maternal death and the effects of young children. There are studies about children in Africa losing parents to HIV/AIDS, but I wanted to focus on motherless children right here in the United States for my research. Furthermore, most of the articles are several years old. I am going to continue to search for articles, and now books that deal with the subject of maternal death in childhood, and I am going to focus my research on the idea of behavioral problems resulting from maternal absence.

The process thus far has been an incredible learning experience, as I know very little about research and struggle with the scientific jargon. By keeping a research chart and learning to put the research phrases in my own words I am developing a better understanding of research in general. Also, in searching for article on my subject I did come across articles that may be of help to my colleagues in their research. I would suggest to everyone that the go to the Walden library and search for relevant articles under the multidisciplinary databases and the SocIndex. If you should come across any links offering information on maternal absence and its effects, please let me know. I am really excited about going on this adventure with all of you, and look forward to following your findings.            

 

My Take Aways: The International Early Education Field

                                                                   By Lisa Martin

Learning about the early education field on an international level has really opened my eyes, not only to the struggle but the promise as well. Sure, I knew that in many of the poorer countries the opportunity to attend school – let alone preschool, was a huge privilege, but I did not realize that this sense of luxury was not limited to developing countries. It surprised me that in countries with a decent gross national product early education is still rare, and definitely only available to those who could afford the honor. It really disturbed me to discover that the United States is falling further behind in education, and far from being a leader. It gave me hope and promise to see that the countries that value their young children as their future invest well in early education and consider it a matter of national consequence. It was also interesting that in countries that saw the importance of early education, the teaching profession is viewed with respect and teachers well paid. This realization made me a bit sad, because it said to me that my country does not fully value children and their education. Teaching in the United States is viewed as what you do when you cannot get into medical school or law school.

I found myself drawing correlations between the poverty in Paraguay and the United States, and I was ashamed for my country. I begin to think how great it was that here in the United States we had finally come to realize the importance of investing in our young children from birth, and began to imagine an American early education system that would outshine and outperform countries like Finland and the Netherlands. I read of all the tremendous efforts and dedication of organizations like the Children’s Defense Fund, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Center on the Developing Child and I felt encouraged, because I know that this work shall bear fruit and not be in vain. I believe we must come together and adopt the best practices based on outcomes from around the world. I am excited about the joining of minds and ideas that will lead to an overhaul of the early education system from the outside in – hopefully the United States will lead the way, and provide a road map for all countries to follow; knowing this is the pathway to national growth and strength. In the process, we will alleviate poverty, increase opportunities for all families, and give each child his human and civil right to a quality early education; and in the process we will create a better stronger global community.  Studying early education internationally made it clear to me that we must be our brothers and sisters keepers all around the world.