How is the complex concept of culture used within my profession?
In my profession as a teacher it is useful to know about the complex concept of culture because I cannot even stop to categorize people but I have to be aware that it is one of the human characteristics. In my working as a future teacher I have to handle this fact otherwise I cannot become an open-minded person. If I accept that culture is a product of dynamic interaction created among the people I can influence these interactions between pupils with my behavior and my tasks for them. There won`t be an equal value system in a class, but some basics our values orientate on. These basics have to be accepted and respected by the pupils (e.g. honest, no violence-mental or physical) in a class. For sure these terms can be extended in different ways for every child on its own. In most cases not all values have to be discussed with the pupils because we all have a tacit knowledge about what is wrong or unsocial behavior when we reach school age. Of course there are some exceptions, but as a teacher we have to include these children in our work and give them some basics to become a part of the class and tolerate existing values. So, we as a teacher have to be aware that culture is nothing what pupils or I have or learned but something that can be created in our all-days interaction and work. Because of having an ethnical mix of pupils in my class I do not have to have the meaning that there is fix national culture, which can be seen as a standard. Every culture, which is created, has got influences from different other cultures. A culture is never been closed. We should be open to integrate new terms or cultural ideas in our cultural group called “class”. A teacher has to accept different meanings or ideas and has to handle it. But not just accepting, also a critical reflection of new ideas marks an open-minded teacher. The teacher and his class have to find out own their own which cultural ideas and values are important to them.
In fact that being a part of dynamic processes a culture consists of that culture is constantly moving and that there will be always negotiations. Cultural processes we are going through in school might not be close to those we are going through in our family or our parish. Not all the values children are learning in school can be used in their behavior at home too because of different religions or beliefs. For instance a muslim boy going into a german school where values created which are close to the german mentality. He doesn`t have to accept them but he has to orientate his behavior in school on them. If maybe his mother has a much lower position in society because of their religious belief and he can treat her without respect than it is a part of the culture which is created because of the interactions between his family members. But if he is in school he has to adapt his behavior on the values which are created in the class-treat all the pupils and teachers with respect and accept the equal position of everybody.--> this is a typical categorization we do every day because of our experiences we made or heard. How I mentioned before: It is important to know about that human weakness but it is much more important to handle it.
(source of the picture
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