Nonverbal communication and culture. Identity, stereotypes and prejudices, страница 61

Second, schools are a primary means by which a culture's history and traditions are passed from generation to generation. Education is said to be the transmission of civilization. To transmit civilization, schools teach the formal knowledge a culture deems necessary: language, history, government, science, art, music, and how to survive in society. This is true whether you are considering a country as large and complex as the United States or the Russian Federation or a small tribal society in the midst of a South American rain forest. For instance, the basis of survival in the United States, as is presented in our educational system, is to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to secure employment that provides income sufficient to live comfortably. In the forest, survival skills may include how to set an animal snare, how to fashion a functional bow and arrow, how to make a fire, or how to recognize which plants are edible and which toxic.

Third, the function of an educational system is to teach the informal knowledge of a culture. By the time children attend school, they have already been exposed to and internalized many of the basic values and beliefs of their culture. They have learned the rules of behavior that are considered appropriate for their role in the community and have begun to be socialized into that community. In school, children continue this process and learn the rules of correct conduct, a hierarchy of cultural values, how to treat one another, gender-role expectations, respect, and all of the other informal matters of culture.

Cultural Differences in Education

Cultures with formal educational systems tend to teach much the same thing – literacy, mathematics, history, and so forth – but diversity is found in what cultures emphasize and how it is taught.

What Cultures Teach

In order for you to understand how culture influences education, we will begin with an examination of what cultures teach. Earlier we emphasized that cultures impress upon each generation their world view, values, and perceptual filters. This task is in part a function of the formal educational systems within a culture. What is taught, therefore, becomes crucial to the maintenance and perpetuation of a culture

Although the teaching of history is common to all cultures, the history the culture emphasizes is its own. For the United States, the history of the Industrial Revolution might be taught. In Mexico, the focus could be on the impact of Spanish colonization of that country. Likewise, the teaching of language is common to all cultures, but the language emphasized is its own. By teaching a culture's history and language to schoolchildren, a society is reinforcing its values, beliefs, and prejudices.

Each culture, whether consciously or unconsciously, tends to glorify its historical, scientific, and artistic accomplishments and frequently to minimize the accomplishments of other cultures. In this way, schools in all cultures, whether they intend to or not, teach ethnocentrism. For instance, when you look at a world map published in the USA, notice that the United States is prominently located in the center. This attitude of subtle ethnocentrism, or the reinforcing of the values, beliefs, and prejudices of the culture, is not a uniquely American phenomenon. Studying only the Koran in Iranian schools or only the Old Testament in Israeli classrooms is also a quiet form of ethnocentrism.

What a culture emphasizes in its curriculum can give you some insight into the character of that culture. Spanish students, for instance, are taught the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition to these basics, Spanish students are also instructed in "formative" skills, "national spirit," and "complementary" skills. Formative skills are taught through religious education. For the Spanish, their culture is a matter of great pride. This pride is partially instilled by the teaching of national spirit as a part of the educational process. Consequently, instruction in history, geography, language, and physical training are an important part of their education process. Complementary skills are those topics the Spanish include because they believe they will be of benefit to their students. English, for instance, has been recently introduced into some Spanish classrooms because the Spanish understand that knowing English can have economic benefits in a global marketplace.