Cultural Diversity Interview Narrative Cultural

Cultural Diversity Interview

Interview Narrative

Cultural diversity is an underutilized resource in the classroom setting. The American school system was devised with the Caucasian population in mind. Minorities were not considered "educable" when the educational system first began in the United States. However, since that time, many things have changed, including the cultural mix that inhabits today's school setting. Education is embedded with ethnocentric ideals and issues the serve as a disadvantage to those that are not in the dominant culture. In the past, these issues have led to differences in the quality of education that a child receives. This has a significant influence on their potential as an adult. This research will explore the issue of cultural diversity using a case study. It will relate the information contained in the interview and link this information to current theory on cultural diversity in the educational setting.

The researcher conducted an interview with Margaret Carter, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, who moved to upstate New York in the 1970s. Margaret is currently residing in a retirement home. This interview provides an interesting comparison and contrast in terms of cultural diversity in various parts of the United States. Margaret was born in 1929, at the start of the Great Depression. Her father worked in a factory and they lived in the "black" section of the city. She reflected that at that time, whites and blacks did not live together in the same neighborhoods, even if a black person were to attain enough wealth to afford it. However, blacks that could afford to live in a better neighborhood were rare.

Margaret lived in the center of the "Old South" and old southern ideals dictated her world throughout most of her life. She remembers life as hard, but at the same time, the family was very close. They all had to work, doing whatever they could to get by, everyone shared in the hardships and the fortunes. Margaret attributes everything that she learned in life to her family, extended family, and parents. Her parents never attended school or had a formal education. Her father learned to read and write from some of the people that he worked with. Her mother never learned to read and write at all.

When the children reached school age, Margaret's mother stressed the importance of attending school. Her mother made many sacrifices to get the children shoes and clothes so that they could attend. Her mother told them that it was their only way out of where they were. Her father was not as enthusiastic and felt that it was a waste of time. She remembers many arguments between her parents regarding what was more important, school or work. In the end, her mother won and they went to school. The school was all black and they did not have books for the first three years. The lessons were put on the blackboard by the teacher. The school was poor and children of different grades often had to share a single classroom. Reading, writing, and math were the main subjects taught.

Margaret feels that more attention was paid to the male students in the class, because they would eventually have to go out and obtain employment to support a family. It was a "given" that the woman would be stuck at home raising the children. She would not need the skills learned in school, so less emphasis was placed on her success. The drop out rate for women was significant and it was difficult to graduate in this type of circumstance. She felt that children in her neighborhood were at a disadvantage compared to whites that attended schools in other parts of town. She always felt that blacks were looked down upon and considered inferior to their white counterparts. She recalls the Jim Crow laws that reinforced these social attitudes and norms.

Few children actually attended until after World War II. The conditions in the school got better as blacks began serving their country. Margaret feels that World War II helped to place everyone on an equal status. Everyone was involved in helping the war effort, there was not time to think about racial issues any more. The war gave many families the opportunity to make more money due to the availability of better jobs, both civilian and military. Her family was able to buy a house during these years, as her father was able to work in a factory and her brother joined the service.

I asked Margaret about the differences between when she was growing up and today's school setting. Margaret told me that in her day, the differences in educational opportunity based on race were drastic. There were virtually no opportunities for blacks, either educationally, or job wise. She feels that the opportunities that exist today are much more equally weighted. She still thinks that blacks must prove themselves and that black children have to work harder than their white counterparts for similar opportunities. There is still a tendency to favor whites over other ethnic groups in the United States. Even when she moved to upstate New York, those differences remained. Although they were not as prevalent as they are in the South.

Margaret does feel that the amount of money a person's family has will determine, at least in part, how well they will do in school. However, there is not the oppression that she experienced when she was in school. She feels that social factors can be overcome with the right attitude. When she was in school, even the best attitude would not help one to succeed, the opportunities were simply not there. Now, she feels that the opportunity for success lies with the individual more than the "system." asked her about cultural differences in her academic setting. Margaret commented that the activities in the classroom were different depending on the race of the teacher. When the teacher was white, there were no culturally significant activities. White teachers wanted to erase their African culture to make them more acceptable to the white society. They were encouraged to learn to speak and act like "whites." When the teacher was black, the atmosphere was a little more relaxed and they felt that they could "be themselves." There was always pressure to conform. They were made to feel as if being black was wrong. They often had to try to lift themselves up as human beings due to the oppressive attitudes of the white teachers. Margaret states that being black before the 1960s meant a constant struggle to reconcile who you were with what you could be.

Margaret says that it is difficult to say whether her experiences were different than those of kids in white schools. However, everyone knew that when it came to college, they had little chance. Whites were expected to try to better themselves. Blacks were treated as if school did not matter. She always got this feeling from white teachers. Black teachers were often filled with despair themselves. They struggled with their desire for the children to have a better future and their knowledge of what was to be their inevitable future.

Atlanta before the latter part of the 1960s was all about discrimination. Margaret reflects that after the Civil Rights movement and the turmoil that followed, attitudes were slow to change. She still feels that black children today have fewer chances than their white counterparts. There were several instances that she can remember where white teachers made the newspaper for making racially inappropriate remarks in the classroom. She does not remember any direct remarks from white teachers, but she does remember terms that divided such as, "your type, " or "people like you." She remembers that being from "that side of town" meant that you had fewer chances for employment. If the job was physically hard or menial, then you had a chance, but to hope for anything better meant that you had to be from a different part of town. Life was an upward struggle.

Margaret says that her favorite subject in school was reading. Her mother always liked to have her read the Bible to her at night. Her mother told her that reading was the most important thing that she could learn. She took this to heart. She feels that it was her mother's encouragement, rather than anything that happened in the school setting that was responsible for her love of reading. She read everything that she could get her hand on. She read the newspaper to her mother, who listened enthusiastically. Her father used to tease and chastise her for wanting to learn to read. He said that it would never do her any good.

Margaret got good grades in the subjects that she liked, but did poorly in those that she did not like. She had to be self-motivated in order to succeed. If she hated that subject, such as math, she did not have any desire to succeed. She only put effort into the subjects that she liked. While in high school, she worked as a waitress at a local diner. Most of the population was black, therefore there was little contact with white customers or employees. Margaret feels that she was socially isolated until the 1950s. She was not exposed to white culture; it was foreign to her. She was only exposed to black culture of the time. They were not allowed in certain stores, restaurants, or other places of business. She remembers "white only" restrooms and "black only" fountains. This cultural isolation was oppressive.

Margaret feels that the oppressive attitudes and discrimination that she experienced as a child determined much of how her life proceeded in adulthood. The idea that she could only go so far was ingrained as a child. She never really broke free of this feeling. In her 40s, she moved to upstate New York. Here, she found that many women had succeeded in areas that she never dreamed were possible. She found herself amazed at what these women accomplished. She knew from a rational standpoint, that she could do these things too if she wanted to. However, somewhere in the back of her mind were the "old school" attitudes that were a part of her educational and cultural experience. She always felt as if she could do more, but she never did anything about it. Her life was one of acceptance of things that would not be.

Margaret says that if she had it to do over again, she would go into education or social work and would teach black children that they could be and do anything that they wanted to do. Margaret feels that it was not only her school that was responsible for her attitudes, but the entire community and culture in which she grew up. The school was a part of the culture, one that accepted and even promoted the ideals of racial discrimination and prejudice. Margaret ended by saying that she thinks kids today have far better opportunities than they did when she was growing up, but that they take them for granted. These children have no idea what it was like in the depression. They have no point of reference to relate to hard times. She said that they still have fewer chances for success than whites, but that being black is no longer an excuse. Margaret feels that youth need to step back and look at what life was like for their parents and grandparents in order to appreciate what they have as far as opportunities are concerned.

I asked Margaret if she wanted to add anything else and she replied that we need to focus on eliminating the effects of cultural bias in the educational system. She feels that children could benefit from a concerted effort to recognize their unique heritage and what it means in today's world. Margaret does not feel sad about her childhood, she simply sees it as the times they were in. Everyone was in the same situation and she does not feel that this is a reflection on the school, but rather society in general. Margaret has seen many extremes in her lifetime regarding cultural diversity and the educational system.

Personal Reflections

My interview with Margaret touched me deeply and I could not help making comparisons with my own experiences. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood in a mixed school setting. Many of the things that Margaret experienced were unfathomable to me. I simply had no point of references from which to evaluate them on a personal level. I tried hard to imagine what it must have been like for Margaret, but I found it difficult to imagine myself in her shoes. My experiences were so completely different that I had a difficult time grasping what she was trying to say.

I have always considered myself to be open-minded as far as cultural differences are concerned. I have held the belief that a person makes their own way regardless of how they grew up or where they came from. However, after speaking with Margaret, I began to question my own beliefs. I began to realize that my attitudes were the result of a primarily "white" ethnocentric background. I did not experience cultural oppression and was always taught that my destiny was my own.

We had an ethnically mixed group in the school where I grew up. I never saw anyone as different from myself, other than skin color. Now that I think back on the African-Americans that I knew, they were under tremendous pressure to conform to white standards. There were two "classes" of black students in our school. There were those that dressed white, acted white, and tried to "fit in." These students usually got good grades and had a chance at college. They were typically from wealthier parents. African-Americans of this "genre" were treated no differently than anyone else.

However, there were also African-American students that were rebellious to white domination. They dressed differently, listened to different music and typically did not associate in any way with anyone other than those in their own groups. Everyone knew that these kids would probably end up on welfare or in a street gang. They were a closed social group. They had their own language, their own style of dress, their own music and did not participate in mainstream activities. They were not the "in" crowd.

Before my interview with Margaret, I had never thought extensively about what these two different "classes" of blacks represented. Those in the "upper" class struggled silently in a way that none of us ever knew. They were the products of pressures to succeed. Their parents had probably told them the harsh truths that Margaret knew. Their parents knew that to succeed you had to be white, or at least try to fit into white society. Looking back, their parents had probably ingrained these values and attitudes since they were small children. They had to do more in order to have the same. They were under tremendous pressure to succeed academically "despite" the color of their skin. I never knew how important this was until I heard Margaret's story.

Those that were from the "other" black culture were also under tremendous social pressure. They had to make a choice: to be black, or to be successful according to white standards. I realize how fortunate I was not to have to make these choices. I had never thought of my destiny as "set" when I was in school, but I now realize that I had many advantages that were connected to the color of my skin and middle class upbringing. I did not have to make a choice between my culture and my chance to succeed.

Thinking back to these two "types" of blacks in our school, they were always at odds. They were rivals in every way. Those that were rebellious saw the others as a sell-out. They did not consider them to be blacks. The middle class blacks were seen as outcasts by both groups. The few Hispanic students that were in our school were automatically classed as the "lower class" blacks. They never had a chance to succeed and were always viewed as unable to succeed. When I was in the midst of these underlying racial tensions, I never saw them as such. I saw them for the individuals and the choices that they had made. However, now I see them in a different light.

A realize that the minorities in our school did determine their own destiny in a way, but not in the way I thought at that time. They chose to which group they would belong. In some cases, these choices were made for them by others. Social isolation played a significant role in the ability to "push" someone towards another social group. If a Hispanic tried to socialize with the "white" crowd, they were quickly rejected until they accepted who they were and where they belonged. I never realized that this was going on at the time, but looking back, I see it very clearly. Blacks had to choose where they would fit in. Their choices determined their destiny.

Once social choices were made, they were reinforced by the way other students treated them. Even teachers fell into the routine and "class" system. Teachers were more likely to help a "white" black than a black of lower socioeconomic status. I thought that I grew up in a free society where racial stereotypes were becoming outdated. My interview with Margaret made me realize that I held certain prejudices that I did not even realize. This project opened my eyes to the reality that racial stereotypes still determine what we become in life. The classes and differences might not be as blatant as they were in Margaret's time, but they are still there.

Theoretical Analysis

Several social theories can be seen in the interview and my reflections on my own personal experiences in school. The first is self-fulfilled prophecy, which states that our beliefs help determine our success in life. The second is stereotype threat and disidentification, which demonstrates the powerful role that stereotypes can have on the attitudes leading to success. The third theory that applies to this study is the theory of "cultural funds of knowledge." The following will outline these theories and will relate them to the case analysis.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Studies have correlated academic achievement to social class (Rist, 2000). However, few have attempted to explain this connection. Rist conducted a an observational study that followed a group of schoolchildren from kindergarten through 2nd grade. This study found that children from low, working, and middle-income families experienced school differently. Risk observed that schoolteachers treated children from these three groups differently. Teachers differentiated their instruction according to the childrens' socioeconomic status. Risk found that teachers inadvertently set up "winners and losers."

One of the more interesting findings of this study is that the study took place in an all-black school. Race was not an issue in the study, but socioeconomic status partly determined the opportunities that were afforded to the children. The children developed beliefs about themselves based on what they were exposed to in the course of their school day. This inevitably limited what they could do or would become as adults. The beliefs that would become their destiny were determined by treatment by their teachers in the early years of their school career.

Risk (2000) based his study on previous studies that found similar results based on racial differences. We know from the body of this research that segregation can occur based on either race or socioeconomic status. The only real differences were the way in which the children were treated in the classroom. The most important finding regarding self-fulfilling prophecy is that it is not only a theory, but produced real results in the outcomes and attitudes of the students. Self-fulfilling prophecy imposed by the school system represents one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome.

This theory permeates the conversation with Margaret. Even in later life, Margaret still felt that her life path had been determined by her the attitudes about herself that were learned in school. She learned to categorize herself as a black woman, rather than a human being. With this characterization, she learned all of the limitations and stereotypes that went with it. The same was true of the minorities in the school where I grew up. They were "shoved" towards the group where they were perceived to "fit" by others. Then they were treated in such as way that reinforced these ideals. Eventually they began to take on this "identity." They also began to take on the predefined limitations that went with it as well.

Stereotype threat and academic disidentification

Stereotype threat is closely related to self-fulfilling prophecy except that is relates more to group pressures than individual performance measures (Steel, 1997). Stereotype threat is a topic that has become more prevalent among diversity theorists as a result of standardized testing. This theory suggests that underperformance on tests is triggered by the possibility of being judged in terms of a certain stereotype.

Standardized testing is becoming more prevalent at the elementary level than it was in the past. Children know that their test performance reflects on their abilities. However, the theory of stereotype threat suggests that the children know that their performance also reflects on their race, or other social group as well. It is suggested that this knowledge leads to increased stress associated with the tests and that this undermines the child's ability to concentrate. Poor test performance might not be a reflection of lack of knowledge or academic achievement, but a result of social pressures to perform. Test performance is decreased when the stereotype threatens the child's self-concept. The threat of being negatively identified with a certain social group is dependent upon the prevalence of the threat and the social pressure that is placed on the child (Steele, 1997).

This was not as issue in Margaret's time because testing was not such an issue. However, in my school, these stereotype threats were tangible. It was assumed that everyone already knew who would do well and who would fail these tests. I remember that there were a few surprises when people did not perform according to group expectations. For instance, it was discovered that one of the top African-American boys had difficulty reading. He was devastated because he had been trying to keep his hardships a secret. His personality changed and he became more withdrawn after his "secret" was out. He did not want to be classed with the "other" blacks who were expected to have little opportunities in life. There was also intense pressure to succeed from his family. This affected him as well.

Cultural Funds of Knowledge