Question:


With all of the different cultures in our country, why does prejudice still exist?

Quote:

“There is not one aspect of human life that is not touched and altered by culture, “says Edward Hall.

Fact:

The passage of the Civil Rights Act created fertile ground for recognizing the rights of every citizen regardless of his or her characteristics and conditions. Furthermore, the Act acknowledged and reaffirmed the individual rights of culturally diverse people and gave way to additional efforts that directly impacted early childhood education.

1. Culture is the way of life of a social group, including all of its materials and nonmaterial products that are transmitted from one generation to the next.

2. Culture shapes our lives from the very beginning of time starting with our birth. We all have a culture no matter what social group we belong to. It influences the way we dress, the language we speak, our religion, and any other factors passed down from generations we learned from including from our parents, grandparents, etc. It defines who we are as an individual, group, and family member.

3. Children reflect their culture in the classroom by the clothes they might wear, the language they speak or write, their religious beliefs, and the celebrations they may observe. It can be in their emotions they have, the music they listen to, or the foods they eat. When teaching children of different cultures, one must be open minded that the child that is acting out just might be frustrated because they do not understand what is being taught or asked of them.

4. Every aspect of our lives is influenced by culture. If we did not have different cultures, we all would like the same things, dress alike, have the same religious beliefs, like the same music, and like the same foods, etc. sounds like our lives would be a little boring. I think culture makes us as individuals, in our own special way. I teach 3 -5 year olds and I am blessed that they do not see cultures in the same way adults do. Children, who see a child in a wheel chair, see a friend who might need their help sometimes or a child of different culture might be someone they can play with at school. Maybe we all could learn from them!