Pablo Freire and culturally sensitive education as social change

Culturally Sensitive Education

Education as Change Agent for Cultural Awareness and Collective Need

Any review of literature regarding change affect and culturally sensitive education would be remiss if it did not begin with a discussion of the work of Pablo Freire, as to some degree he is the first scholar and thinker that observed the validity of education as a change agent, and specifically as an agent to restore cultural points-of-view that had been lost in oppression. In an overall sense Freire stressed that the culture of the oppressed must not be overshadowed by that of the oppressor in education and that this applies to majority minority status in any culturally diverse population. Though Freire stresses a pedagogy of post-colonialism including a great many of its dogmatic terms and meanings he also stresses that educators and students through developed mutual love will together be a change agent.

As individuals or as peoples, by fighting for the restoration of our humanity we will be attempting the restoration of true generosity. And this fight, because of the purpose given it, will actually constitute an act of love. (Freire, 2000, p. 45)

The concept of "educating for social reconstruction" speaks to the humanitarian side of the teaching profession. We live in a world engulfed in wars, AIDS, hunger, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness and global warming, to name a few of the problems that afflict people around the world. According to a new trend in the global world, the solutions to many of these problems, including the adaptation of a previously subjugated population to democracy will be gained through "global education." Which in other words can be described as culturally sensitive education, that to some degree responds to a universality of humanity, making clear to the educated that we as people are all members of the same family and are all deserving and responsible for recognizing and enforcing the humanity in all. The global education movement has a significant following and is based upon the premise that educating the masses will give them greater opportunity in an increasingly global economy. (Henderson, 2005, p. 306) There are concerns that any kind of global education will once again create a system that does not effectively impart issues of culture and individuality, but simply whitewash or create political correctness that does not impart culture the cultures in which it is adopted, leaving the world full of people who have no sense of history or culture, and an educated desire to serve a larger community that might not be relevant to their lives. (Henderson, 2005, p. 306) the argument in favor of global education for change contends that this is not the case and that the framework of any global education movement should and will answer to the fact that culture is an essential element of humanity and must be illuminated in both majority and minority without the traditional, winner writing the history books scenario which as occurred all over the post-colonial worlds. (Giroux, 1981, p.39) Freire's work itself warned of the need to develop universal education but also stressed the importance of making sure that the intentions of educators to improve culture did not repeat the mistakes of the past, including but not limited to teaching a curriculum that stressed the victor's point-of-view and created a world full of individuals who did not know their own cultural/linguistic identity. (Freire 2000, p.125). (Giroux & Simon, 1989, p. 8)

Global education is defined as an education system that teaches modern ideals that will assist the growing global economy by creating a world community view, "...national governments are proclaiming education as the key to success in the global economy. " (Spring, 1998, p. 5) the idea is based on the concept that the U.S. And other nations need to address issues of global concern in a manner that effectively imparts social and civic responsibility as well as cultural history. The adoption of a global pedagogy in the U.S. is a highly contested issue, as many believe that the need for addressing global issues is devoid of cultural identity and will replace curricula that is important to individualism and American social identity. In a more modern sense, global education is a term that denotes the need to teach all international citizens the skills they will need to accomplish success in a global economy. Multicultural education, on the other hand is an attempt to ingrate more than one cultural expression into curriculum, an example would be a stress to include varied cultural curriculum including linguistics from other locals and history and culture of other nations or peoples.

Characteristics of Culturally Sensitive Teachers

The foundations of parenting run very deep, as they are the core of an individuals' being in the case of being parents and being parented by them. Culture is one of the most significant aspects of this dynamic. The difficulties that arise when an individual or family has a culture that is different than the dominant culture can be significant for parents to navigate through. The debates about multiculturalism, in education create a sounding board that facilitates communication about cultural issues that might otherwise not be voiced. Therefore regardless of opinion, either in favor of multicultural classrooms or against multicultural classrooms the debates create an opening for discussion that can facilitate a better relationship with parents of diverse children. Those teachers who have their pulse on cultural sensitivity are also aware that the parent's of diverse individuals within the classroom are a consummate link to cultural sensitively. (Smith, 2006, p. 58)

One of the most important issues with regard to parent relationships as they affect the classroom is that it is crucial to remember that the parent is a teacher and in many cases the first teacher. It is for this reason that developing a strong relationship between teacher, community, school, classroom and parents is essential and even more so if diversity is a part of the equation. Teachers seeking this strong relationship and achieving it are remarkably more prepared than others to respond to cultural sensitivity in curriculum and activity. (Smith, 2006, p. 58) Educators and administrators must be aware of this potential disconnect and foster relationships between the school community, teachers and parents of diverse students as they may be one of the greatest resources for true understanding of diversity on a core level, rather than on a superficial level often employed by schools and educators. (Meyer & Rhodes, 2006)

In a work describing the importance of parent involvement in schools, one group developed a set of learning modules that stresses the need for culturally diverse adults to make every effort to develop open communication and be involved in the schooling of their children. The work demonstrates a significant missing link in the situation, as immigrant parents often feel intimidated by the culture of schools and some must have guidance to help lead them toward inclusion in their children's learning. One module in the work specifically stresses the importance of the immigrant parent realizing their role as their children's first teacher and helping guide them through activities that foster this relationship. (Peacoraro & Magnuson 2001, pp.34-52)

The work also stresses that the social and cultural stresses of immigration and the feeling of being an outsider often drive the diverse parent away from school interactions and teaching, as they feel that the school in this new foreign culture has more to teach their children than they themselves do. The work, developed by the Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, stresses that diverse parents must be reminded that their cultural origin is equally important as new learning to their children as is being a part of the child's development of self-esteem, and English proficiency is irrelevant to such learning. (Peacoraro & Magnuson 2001, p.38) Creating bridge between the parent and the culture and community of schools through a stress on a mutual learning exchange can be an exemplary opportunity, and can also help newcomers feel more welcome in their new home. Debates regarding multicultural education, and the feelings, of immigrants about such debates could potentially be an opening to help educators reach out to diverse communites and develop bonds of communication that foster the development of children and the system, even in cases where the multicultural classroom and/or curriculum are rejected.

In fact it has been argued that these important core principles, self-esteem, cultural pride and self-awareness can sometimes not be learned at school, in a setting where diversity is not recognized as valuable and students, especially the very young, tend to seek sameness, even though their diversity is apparent. Though debates of multiculturalism often discourage inclusion of cultural subject matter into classrooms, for various reasons the need to express culture at home is still crucial, teachers who acknowledge and support this are responding to cultural sensitivity, especially when they are flexible enough to let it creep into the classroom, even when it is barred. In one work an experimental multi-cultural curriculum was tried, in a LA suburban kindergarten class. The authors stress that the program helped students learn to be open in communications about fear of prejudice. The program was said to have helped children to have; "gained power to choose how they think and feel about each other. They learned to no longer base their friendships, let alone their perceptions, on who most looks like them." (Anicich & Kirk, 1999, p.2) Through such experimentation, the debate can be answered effectively, as classroom communities become more diverse cultural expression must not be stifled but in fact made a part of the foundation of curriculum, so as to allow open communication about fears and concerns and allow students to recognize internal value, rather than basing perceptions on outward appearance, perceived educational difficulties, and/or perceived cultural differences.

In one work on multiculturalism in schools it is pointed out that according to the National Center for Education Statistics 2005; "As of 2003, minority students made up 42% of the public school population." (Meyer & Rhodes, 2006, p.83) With this demographic change, occurring in a more saturated fashion in some regions than in others, there must be some universal acknowledgement of broad concern for curriculum development which reflects change. The authors stress throughout the work the importance of educators having a greater knowledge of culture and that simply employing the old standards of including foreign, food, dance and folklore in curriculum is not fully effective and must be expanded to include real cultural diversity issues, including race relations as part of the subject matter. (Meyer & Rhodes, 2006) one way in which this can occur is by the inclusion of parents in the plan, going right to the source of cultural diversity, diverse parents can be a resource that is currently not being utilized to its fullest potential. (Peacoraro & Magnuson, 2001)

Experimentation, such as that done in this classroom expresses through secondary thought that the United States is very much a nation of immigrants, and determining prejudices based upon when one or another population arrived is contradictory to human social progress and civic responsibility. The lessons and activities outlined in the work embraced those who were fourth and fifth generation immigrants, fully assimilated into dominant American culture and those who were first or second generation immigrants seeking acceptance from the dominant culture through awareness. (Anicich & Kirk, 1999) the work also stresses through its application in a very young classroom that these lessons of tolerance need to begin very early and be inclusive of parents to effectively lead people to appropriate civic responsibility, a core principle of education.

As the diversity in the U.S. grows, there must be debates about the nature of the reflection of curriculum on a changing population. Through this work it has been made clear that immigrants often feel a disconnect from the education of their children, especially when language barriers are an issue. The work of the educator, regardless of the answer tot the debate is to develop core communications with these parents so as to better teach children their role in a foreign social and cultural environment. Regardless of the level of acceptance of a multicultural classroom within a school or district, no children or parent should feel rejected by it. Debates may not seem like a politically correct way to develop such relationships, but they can be a starting point for opening up a line of communication that further develops the child's feelings of cultural pride and personal self-esteem, two issues that are crucial to long-term success and civic responsibility and in many ways must be imparted by the culturally sensitive teacher.