Culture Class

(http://www.livescience.com/21478-what-is-culture-definition-ofculture.html) Yang LIU East Meets West http://urbanpeek.com/2013/11/26/east-meets-westgermany-vs-china-infographic/

Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.

The Center for Advance Research on Language Acquisition goes a step further, defining culture as shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learned by socialization. Thus, it can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the group.

Many countries are largely populated by immigrants, and the culture is influenced by the many groups of people that now make up the country. This is also a part of growth. As the countries grow, so does its cultural diversity.

Western culture The term "Western culture" has come to define the culture of European countries as well as those that have been heavily influenced by European immigration, such as the United States,according to Khan University. Western culture has its roots in the Classical Period of the Greco-Roman era and the rise of Christianity in the 14th century.

Other drivers of Western culture include Latin, Celtic, Germanic and Hellenic ethnic and linguistic groups. Today, the influences

of Western culture can be seen in almost every country in the world.

Eastern culture Eastern culture generally refers to the societal norms of countries in Far East Asia (including China, Japan, Vietnam, North Korea and South Korea) and the Indian subcontinent. Like the West, Eastern culture was heavily influenced by religion during its early development, but it was also heavily influenced by the growth and harvesting of rice, according to the book "Pathways to Asian Civilizations: Tracing the Origins and Spread of Rice and Rice Cultures" by Dorian Q. Fuller. In general, in Eastern culture there is less of a distinction between secular society and religious philosophy than there is in the West.

Latin culture Many of the Spanish-speaking nations are considered part of the Latin culture, while the geographic region is widespread.

Latin America is typically defined as those parts of the Central America, South America and Mexico where Spanish or Portuguese are the dominant languages. Originally, the term “Latin America” was used by French geographers to differentiate between Anglo and Romance (Latin-based) languages, according to the University of Texas. While Spain and Portugal are on the European continent, they are considered the key influencers of what is known as Latin culture, which denotes people using languages derived from Latin, also known as Romance languages.

The El-Deir Monastery at Petra, Jordan, is an example of traditional Middle Eastern culture.

Credit: ZurijetaShutterstock

Middle Eastern culture The countries of the Middle East have some but not all things in common. This is not a surprise, since the area consists of approximately 20 countries, according to PBS. The Arabic language is one thing that is common throughout the region; however, the wide variety of dialect can sometimes make communication difficult. Religion is another cultural area that the countries of the Middle East have in common. The Middle East is the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

African culture The continent of Africa is essential to all cultures. Human life originated on this continent and began to migrate to other areas of the world around 60,000 years ago, according to the Natural History Museum.

Africa is home to a number of tribes, ethnic and social groups.

One of the key features of this culture is the large number of ethnic groups throughout the 54 countries on the continent.

Nigeria alone has more than 300 tribes, for example.

Currently, Africa is divided into two cultural groups: North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. This is because Northwest Africa has strong ties to Middle East, while Sub-Africa shares historical, physical and social characteristics that are very different from North Africa, according to the University of Colorado. The harsh environment has been a large factor in the development of SubSaharan Africa culture, as there are a number of languages,

cuisines, art and musical styles that have sprung up among the far-flung populations.

Constant change No matter what culture a people are a part of, one thing is for certain, it will change. Culture appears to have become key in our interconnected world, which is made up of so many ethnically diverse societies, but also riddled by conflicts associated with religion, ethnicity, ethical beliefs, and, essentially, the elements which make up culture," said De Rossi.

"But culture is no longer fixed, if it ever was. It is essentially fluid and constantly in motion." This makes it so that it is difficult to define any culture in only one way.

Differences in Cultures(http:// www.analytictech.com) Increasingly, managers must deal with multiple ethnic groups with very different cultures. Thanks to globalization, you are likely to work with Japanese, French, Chinese, German and all sorts of other nationalities. It is important to recognize that people from different cultures have are different in a variety of ways, including • different ways of looking at things • different ways of dressing • different ways of expressing personality/goodness In an ideal world ...

• the policemen would be English • the car mechanics would be German • the cooks would be French • the innkeepers would be Swiss, • and the lovers would be Italian In a living hell ...

• the policemen would be German • the car mechanics would be French • the cooks would be English • the innkeepers would be Italian • and the lovers would be Swiss

These differences can cause problems interpreting what the other person is doing. Some simple examples: •

In the US, a firm, short handshake indicates self-confidence and (heterosexual) masculinity.

A limp handshake by a man can be interpreted (usually wrongly) as a sign of homosexuality or wimpiness. But in most parts of Africa, a limp handshake is the correct way to do it.

Furthermore, it is common in Africa for the handshake to last several minutes, while in the US a handshake that is even a few seconds too long is interpreted as familiarity, warmth and possibly sexual attraction.

•

In Britain, men do not look at women on the streets. The French do. Recently, a French public figure mentioned in a speech that the Brits are all gay -- the evidence was their lack of overt interest in women.

High Context vs Low Context A low context culture is one in which things are fully (though concisely) spelled out. Things are made explicit, and there is considerable dependence on what is actually said or written. A high context culture is one in which the communicators assume a great deal of commonality of knowledge and views, so that less is spelled out explicitly and much more is implicit or communicated in indirect ways. In a low context culture, more responsibility is placed on the listener to keep up their knowledge base and remain plugged into informal networks.

Low context cultures include Anglos, Germanics and Scandinavians. High context cultures include Japanese, Arabs and French.

Implications •

•

Interactions between high and low context peoples can be problematic.

Japanese can find Westerners to be offensively blunt. Westerners can find Japanese to ◦ be secretive, devious and bafflingly unforthcoming with information French can feel that Germans insult their intelligence by explaining the obvious, ◦ while Germans can feel that French managers provide no direction Low context cultures are vulnerable to communication breakdowns when they assume more shared understanding than there really is. This is especially true in an age of diversity. Low context cultures are not known for their ability to tolerate or understand diversity, and tend to be more insular.

Monochronic vs Polychronic Monochronic cultures like to do just one thing at a time. They value a certain orderliness and sense of there being an appropriate time and place for everything. They do not value interruptions.

Polychronic cultures like to do multiple things at the same time. A manager's office in a polychronic culture typically has an open door, a ringing phone and a meeting all going on at the same time.

Polychronic cultures include the French and the Americans. The Germans tend to be monochronic.

Implications • •

Interactions between types can be problematic. German businessman cannot understand why the person he is meeting is so interruptible by phone calls and people stopping by. Is it meant to insult him? When do they get down to business?

Similarly, the American employee of a German company is disturbed by all the closed doors -- it seems cold and unfriendly.

Future vs Present vs Past Orientation Past-oriented societies are concerned with traditional values and ways of doing things. They tend to be conservative in management and slow to change those things that are tied to the past. Pastoriented societies include China, Britain, Japan and most spanish-speaking Latin American countries.

Present-oriented societies include the rest of the spanish-speaking Latin American countries. They see the past as passed and the future as uncertain. They prefer short-term benefits.

Future-oriented societies have a great deal of optimism about the future. They think they understand it and can shape it through their actions. They view management as a matter of planning, doing and controlling (as opposed to going with the flow, letting things happen). The United States and, increasingly, Brazil, are examples of future-oriented societies.

Quantity of Time In some cultures, time is seen as being a limited resource which is constantly being used up. It's like having a bathtub full of water which can never be replaced, and which is running down the drain.

You have to use it as it runs down the drain or it's wasted. In other cultures, time is more plentiful, if not infinite. In old agricultural societies, time was often seen as circular, renewing itself each year.

Implications •

•

In societies where time is limited, punctuality becomes a virtue. It is insulting to waste someone's time, and the ability to do that and get away with it is an indication of superiority/ status. Time is money. In cultures where time is plentiful, like India or Latin American, there is no problem with making people wait all day, and then tell them to come back the next day.

Time-plentiful cultures tend to rely on trust to do business. Time-limited cultures don't have time to develop trust and so create other mechanisms to replace trust (such as strong rule-bylaw).

Power Distance The extent to which people accept differences in power and allow this to shape many aspects of life.

Is the boss always right because he is the boss, or only when he gets it right?

Implications • •

In high power distance countries (most agrarian countries), bypassing a superior is unsubordination. In low power distance countries (US, northern europeans, Israel), bypassing is not usually a big deal.

In the US, superiors and subordinates often interact socially as equals. An outsider watching a party of professors and graduate students typically cannot tell them apart.

Individualism vs Collectivism In individualist cultures, individual uniqueness, self-determination is valued. A person is all the more admirable if they are a "self-made man" or "makes up their own mind" or show initiative or work well independently. Collectivist cultures expect people to identify with and work well in groups which protect them in exchange for loyalty and compliance.

Paradoxically, individualist cultures tend to believe that there are universal values that should be shared by all, while collectivist cultures tend to accept that different groups have different values.

Many of the asian cultures are collectivist, while anglo cultures tend to be individualist.

Implications •

A market research firm conducted a survey of tourist agencies around the world. The questionnaires came back from most countries in less than a month. But the agencies in the asian countries took months to do it. After many telexes, it was finally done. The reason was that, for example, American tourist agencies assigned the work to one person, while the Filipinos delegated the work to the entire department, which took longer. The researchers also noticed that the telexes from the Philippines always came from a different person.

Individualism vs Collectivism In individualist cultures, individual uniqueness, self-determination is valued. A person is all the more admirable if they are a "self-made man" or "makes up their own mind" or show initiative or work well independently. Collectivist cultures expect people to identify with and work well in groups which protect them in exchange for loyalty and compliance.

Paradoxically, individualist cultures tend to believe that there are universal values that should be shared by all, while collectivist cultures tend to accept that different groups have different values.

Many of the asian cultures are collectivist, while anglo cultures tend to be individualist.

Implications •

A market research firm conducted a survey of tourist agencies around the world. The questionnaires came back from most countries in less than a month. But the agencies in the asian countries took months to do it. After many telexes, it was finally done. The reason was that, for example, American tourist agencies assigned the work to one person, while the

Filipinos delegated the work to the entire department, which took longer. The researchers also noticed that the telexes from the Philippines always came from a different person.

Problems Caused by Cultural Differences •

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•

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You greet your Austrian client. This is the sixth time you have met over the last 4 months.

He calls you Herr Smith. You think of him as a standoffish sort of guy who doesn't want to get really friendly. That might be true in America, where calling someone Mr. Smith after the 6th meeting would probably mean something -- it is marked usage of language -- like "we're not hitting it off". But in Austria, it is normal.

A Canadian conducting business in Kuwait is surprised when his meeting with a highranking official is not held in a closed office and is constantly interrupted. He starts wondering if the official is as important as he had been led to believe, and he starts to doubt how seriously his business is being taken A British boss asked a new, young American employee if he would like to have an early lunch at 11 am each day. The employee said 'Yeah, that would be great!' The boss immediately said "With that kind of attitude, you may as well forget about lunch!" The employee and the boss were both baffled by what went wrong. [In England, saying "yeah" in that context is seen as rude and disrespectful.]

A Japanese businessman wants to tell his Norwegian client that he is uninterested in a particular sale. So he says "That will be very difficult." The Norwegian eagerly asks how he can help. The Japanese is mystified. To him, saying that something is difficult is a polite way of saying "No way in hell!". Dave Barry tells the story of being on a trip to Japan and working with a Japanese airline clerk on taking a flight from one city to another. On being asked about it, the clerk said "Perhaps you would prefer to take the train." So he said "NO, I want to fly." So she said "There are many other ways to go." He said "yes, but I think it would be best to fly." She said "It would very difficult". Eventually, it came out that there were no flights between those cities.

Some Perceptions of Americans Europe & especially England. "Americans are stupid and unsubtle. And they are fat and bad dressers."

Finland. "Americans always want to say your name: 'That's a nice tie, Mikko. Hi Mikko, how are you Mikko' Indian. "Americans are always in a hurry. Just watch the way they walk down the street."

Kenyan. "Americans are distant. They are not really close to other people -- even other Americans."

Turkey. "Once we were out in a rural area in the middle of nowhere and saw an American come to a stop sign. Though he could see in both directions for miles, and there was no traffic, he still stopped!"

Colombia. "In the United States, they think that life is only work."

Indonesia. "In the United States everything has to be talked about and analyzed. Even the littlest thing has to be 'Why, why why?'."

Ethiopia. "The American is very explicit. He wants a 'yes' or 'no'. If someone tries to speak figuratively, the American is confused."

Iran. "The first time my American professor told me 'I don't know, I will have to look it up', I was shocked. I asked myself 'Why is he teaching me?'"

Center of Intercultural Competence) (

http://www.cicb.net/en/home/examples

Typical Examples of cultural differences The perception is different and often selective: •

Expressions are differentiated according their importance: for the Inuits (Eskimos) snow is part of their everyday life, therefore many words (e. g. over 10 substantives) exist to describe it. Similarly the Zulus use 39 different descriptions (singular words) for the color „green”.

•

In Arabic countries the odors (of condiments, coffee etc.) are often perceived in more differentiated ways than e. g. in northern America.

•

In Asian countries the perception of time is rather past-oriented (ancestors, values), in Latin American countries as well as southern European countries rather present-oriented, and in western Europe as well as Noth America rather future-oriented.

Behavior and gestures are interpreted differently:

•

Shaking the head in a horizontal direction in most countries means „no”, while in India it means „yes”, and in hindi language the voice lowers in pitch at the end of a question.

•

Showing the thumb held upwards means in Latin America, especially Brazil, but also in many other countries „everything’s ok”, while it is understood in some Islamic countries as well as Sardinia and Greece as a rude sexual sign. Furthermore, the sign of thumb up may signify the number "one" in France and a few other central european countries.

•

„Everything ok” is shown in western European countries, especially between pilots and divers, with the sign of the thumb and forefinger forming an „O”.

This sign means in Japan „now we may talk about money”, in southern France the contrary („nothing, without any value”), in Spain, some Latin American countries, Eastern Europe and Russia it is an indecent sexual sign.

•

In North America as well as in Arabic countries the pauses between words are usually not too long, while in Japan pauses can give a contradictory sense to the spoken words by the meaning of pauses. Enduring silence is perceived as comfortable in Japan, while in Europe and North America it may cause insecureness and embarrassment. Scandinavians, by Western standards, are more tolerant of silent breaks during conversations.

•

Laughing is connoted in most countries with happiness - in Japan it is often a sign of confusion, insecureness and embarrassment.

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In the UK Ireland and Commonwealth countries, the word „compromise” has a positive meaning (as a consent, an agreement where both parties win something); in the USA it may rather have negative connotations (as both parties lose something).

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In Mediterranean European countries, Latin America and Sub Saharan Africa, it is normal, or at least widely tolerated, to arrive half an hour late for a dinner invitaiton, whereas in Germany and Switzerland this would be extremely rude.

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If invited to dinner, in many Asian countries and Central America it is wellmannered to leave right after the dinner: the ones who don’t leave may indicate they have not eaten enough. In the Indian Sub-Continent, European

and North American countries this is considered rude, indicating that the guest only wanted to eat but wouldn’t enjoy the company with the hosts.

•

In Africa, saying to a female friend one has not seen for a while that she has put on weight means she is physically healthier than before or had a nice holiday, whereas this would be considered as an insult in Europe, North America and Australia.

(https://www.scribd.com/doc/18110466/Questions-to-Ask-About-Culture)

Questions to ask about culture http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:1TqkWnjrTQYJ:docs.ksu.edu.sa/DOC/Article s07/Article070313.doc+ALCPT+form+35&cd=5&hl=th&ct=clnk&gl=th Adopted from Saville-Troike's Book (1978). A Guide to Culture in the Classroom, p. 19-33.

1. General a.

What are the major stereotypes which you and others have about each cultural group? To what extent are these accepted by the group being typed? b.

To what extent and in what areas has the traditional culture of each minority group changed in contact with the dominant American culture? In what areas has it been maintained? c.

To what extent do individuals possess knowledge of or exhibit characteristics of traditional groups?

2. Family a.

Who is in a 'family'? Who among these (or others) live in one house? b.What is the hierarchy of authority in the family? c.

What are the rights and responsibilities of each family member? Do children have an obligation to work to help the family? d.

What are the functions and obligations of the family in the larger social unit? To the school? To its individual members? e.

What is the relative importance of an individual family member vs. the family as a whole? What is the degree of solidarity or cohesiveness in the family?

3. The Life Cycle a.

What are criteria for the definition of stages, periods, or transitions in life? Â b.

What are attitudes, expectations, and behaviors toward individuals at different stages in the life cycle? What stage of life is most valued?

What stage of life is most 'difficult'?

c.

What behaviors are appropriate or unacceptable for children of various ages? How might these conflict with behaviors taught or encouraged in the school? d.

How is language related to the life cycle? e.

How is the age of children computed? What commemoration is made of the child's birth (if any) and when?

4. Roles a.

What roles within the group are available to whom, and how are they acquired? Is education relevant to this acquisition? Â b.

What is the knowledge of and perception by the child, the parents, and the community toward these roles, their availability, and possible or appropriate means of access to them? c.

Is language use important in the definition or social marking of roles? d.

Are there class differences in the expectations about child role attainment? Are these realistic? e.

Do particular roles have positive or malevolent characteristics?

5. Interpersonal Relationships a.

Is language competence a requirement or qualification for group membership? b.

How do people greet each other? What forms of address are used between people in various roles? c.

Do girls work and interact with boys? Is it proper? d.

How is deference shown? e.

How are insults expressed? f.

Who may disagree with whom? Under what circumstances? g.

Are mitigating forms used?

6. Communication a.

What languages, and varieties of each language, are used in the community? By whom? When? Where? For what purposes? b.

Which varieties are written and how widespread is knowledge of written forms?

c.

What are the characteristics of 'speaking well', and how do these relate to age, sex, context, or other social factors? What are the criteria for 'correctness'? d.

What roles, attitudes, or personality traits are associated with particular ways of speaking?

e.

What range is considered 'normal' speech behavior? What is considered a speech defect? f.

Is learning language a source of pride? Is developing bilingual competence considered an advantage or a handicap? g.

What is the functionality of the native language in the workplace or larger environment? h.

What gestures or postures have special significance or may be considered objectionable? What meaning is attached to direct eye contact? To eye avoidance? i.

Who may talk to whom? When? Where? About what?

7. Decorum and Discipline a.

What is decorum? How important is it for the individual and for the group? Â b.

What is discipline? What counts as discipline in terms of the culture, and what doesn't? What is its importance and value? c.

What behaviors are considered socially unacceptable for learners of different age and sex? d.

Who or what is considered responsible if a child misbehaves? The child? Parents? Older siblings? School? Society? The environment?

Or is no blame ascribed? e.

Who has authority over whom? To what extent can one person's be imposed on another? By what means? f.

How is the behavior of children traditionally controlled, to what extent, and in what domains? g.

Do means of social control vary with recognized states in the life cycle, membership in various social categories, or according to setting or offense? h.

What is the role of language in social control? What is the significance of using the first vs. the second language?

8. Religion a.

What is considered sacred and what secular? Â b.

What religious roles and authority are recognized in the community?

 c.

What is the role of children in religious practices? What are they supposed to know or not to know about the religion? d.

What should an outsider not know, or not acknowledge knowing? e.

What taboos are there? What should not be discussed in school; what questions should not be asked; what learner behaviors should not be required? f.

Are there any external signs of participation in religious rituals (e.g., ashes, dress, marking)? g.

Are dietary restrictions to be observed, including fasting, on particular occasions? h.

Are there any prescribed religious procedures or forms of participation if there is a death in the family? What taboos are associated with death and the dead?

9. Health and Hygiene a.

Who or what is believed to cause illness or death (e.g., the 'germ theory' vs. supernatural or other causes)? Â b.

Who or what is responsible for curing? c.

How are specific illnesses treated? To what extent do individuals utilize or accept 'modern' medical practices by doctors and other health professionals? d.

What beliefs, taboos, and practices are associated with menstruation and the onset of puberty? e.

What are beliefs regarding conception and childbirth? f.

What beliefs or practices are there with regard to bodily hygiene (e.g., bathing frequency and purpose)? g.

If a learner were involved in an accident at school, would any of the common first aid practices be unacceptable

 c.

What is the role of children in religious practices? What are they supposed to know or not to know about the religion? d.

What should an outsider not know, or not acknowledge knowing? e.

What taboos are there? What should not be discussed in school; what questions should not be asked; what learner behaviors should not be required? f.

Are there any external signs of participation in religious rituals (e.g., ashes, dress, marking)? g.

Are dietary restrictions to be observed, including fasting, on particular occasions? h.

Are there any prescribed religious procedures or forms of participation if there is a death in the family? What taboos are associated with death and the dead?

9. Health and Hygiene a.

Who or what is believed to cause illness or death (e.g., the 'germ theory' vs. supernatural or other causes)? Â b.

Who or what is responsible for curing? c.

How are specific illnesses treated? To what extent do individuals utilize or accept 'modern' medical practices by doctors and other health professionals? d.

What beliefs, taboos, and practices are associated with menstruation and the onset of puberty?

e.

What are beliefs regarding conception and childbirth? f.

What beliefs or practices are there with regard to bodily hygiene (e.g., bathing frequency and purpose)? g.

If a learner were involved in an accident at school, would any of the common first aid practices be unacceptable?

10. Food a.

What is eaten? In what order? How often? Â b.

What foods are favorites? What taboo? What 'typical'? c.

What rules are observed during meals regarding age and sex roles within the family, the order of serving, seating, utensils used, and appropriate verbal formulas (e.g., how, and if, one may request, refuse, or thank)? d.

What social obligations are there with regard to food giving, preparation, reciprocity, and honoring people? e. What relation does food have to health? What medicinal uses are made of food, or categories of food?

 e.

What are the taboos or prescriptions associated with the handling, offering, or discarding of food?

11. Dress and Personal Appearance a.

What clothing is 'typical'? What is worn for special occasions?

What seasonal differences are considered appropriate? Â b.

What significance does dress have for group identity? c.

How does dress differ for age, sex, and social class? d.

What restrictions are imposed for 'modesty' (e.g., can girls wear shorts, or shower in the gym)?

e.

What is the concept of beauty, or attractiveness? How important is physical appearance in the culture? What characteristics are most valued? f.

What constitutes a 'compliment', and what form should it take (e.g., in traditional Latin American culture, telling a woman she is getting fat is a compliment)? g.

Does the color of dress have symbolic significance (e.g., black vs. white for mourning)?

12. History and Traditions a.

What individuals and events in history are a source of pride for the group? Â b.

To what extent is knowledge of the group's history preserved? c.

In what forms and in what ways is it passed on? d.

To what extent is there a literate tradition of the history of the group (i.e., written history, and knowledge of written history within the group itself)? e.

To what extent are traditions and historical events reflected in aphorisms and proverbs? f.

Do any ceremonies or festive occasions re-enact historical events? g.

How and to what extent does the group's knowledge of history coincide with or depart from 'scientific' theories of creation, evolution, and historical development?

8.

To what extent does the group in the United States identify with the history and traditions of their country of origin?

9.

What changes have taken place in the country of origin since the group or individuals emigrated?

 10.

For what reasons and under what circumstances did the group or individuals come to the United States (or did the United States come to them)?

13. Holidays and Celebrations a.

What holidays and celebrations are observed by the group and individuals? Â b.

What is their purpose (e.g., political, seasonal, religious, didactic)? c.

Which are especially important for children and why? d.

What cultural values do they intend to inculcate? e.

What aspects of socialization/enculturation do they further? f.

Do parents and learners know and understand school holidays and behavior appropriate for them (including appropriate non-attendance)?

14. Education a.

What is the purpose of education? Â b.

What kinds of learning are favored (e.g., rote, inductive)? c.

What methods for teaching and learning are used at home (e.g., modeling and imitation, didactic stories and proverbs, direct verbal instruction)? d.

Do methods of teaching and learning vary with recognized stages in the life cycle? With the setting?

According to what is being taught or learned? e.

What is the role of language in learning and teaching? f.

Is it appropriate for learners to ask questions or volunteer information? If so, what behaviors signal this? If not, what negative attitudes does it engender?

7.

What constitutes a 'positive response' by a teacher to a learner? By a learner to a teacher?

8.

How many years is it considered 'normal' for children to go to school?

9.

Are there different expectations by parents, teachers, and learners with respect to different groups? In different subjects?

15. Work and Play a.

What range of behaviors is considered 'work' and what 'play'? Â b.

What kinds of work are prestigious and why? c.

Why is work valued (e.g., financial gain, group welfare, individual satisfaction, promotion of group cohesiveness, fulfillment or creation of obligations to/from others, position in the community)? d.

Are there stereotypes about what a particular group will do? e.

What is the purpose of play (e.g., to practice social roles, skills training, muscle development and coordination)?

16. Time and Space a.

What beliefs or values are associated with concepts of time?

How important is 'punctuality'? Speed of performance when taking a test? Â b.

Is control or prescriptive organization of children's time required (e.g., must homework be done before watching TV, is 'bedtime' a scheduled event)? c.

Are particular behavioral prescriptions or taboos associated with the seasons (e.g., not singing certain songs in the summertime or a snake will bite, not eating oysters when there is an R in the month)? d.

Is there a seasonal organization of work or other activities? e.

What is acceptable presence or grouping of individuals (e.g., do children stay with adults and listen or go outside)? f.

How do individuals organize themselves spatially in groups (e.g., in rows, circles, around Tables, on the floor, in the middle of the room, around its circumference)? g.

What is the spatial organization of the home (e.g., areas allotted to children or open to children, appropriate activities in various areas of the home)? h.

What geo-spatial concepts, understandings, and beliefs exist in the group or are known to individuals?

9.

What is the knowledge and significance of cardinal directions (North, South, East, West)? At what age are these concepts acquired?

 10.

What significance is associated with different directions or places (e.g., heaven is up, people are buried facing West)?

17. Natural Phenomena a.

What beliefs and practices are associated with the sun and moon (including eclipses and phases of the moon), comets, and stars? Â b.

Who or what is responsible for rain, lightning, thunder, earthquakes, droughts, floods, and hurricanes? c.

Are particular behavioral prescriptions or taboos associated with natural phenomena? What sanctions are there against individuals violating restrictions or prescriptions? d.

What means are there for obviating the negative effects of natural phenomena? e.

How and to what extent does the group's beliefs about these phenomena coincide with or depart from 'scientific' theories? f.

To what extent are traditional group beliefs still held by individuals within the community?

18. Pets and Other Animals a.

Which animals are valued, and for what reasons? Â b.

Which animals are considered appropriate as pets; which are

inappropriate, and why? c.

Are particular behavioral prescriptions or taboos associated with particular animals? d.

Are any animals of religious significance? Of historical importance? e.

Are there seasonal restrictions on talking about or depicting certain animals (e.g., except when hibernating, during hunting season)? f.

What attitudes are held toward other individuals or groups which have different beliefs and behaviors with respect to animals? g.

Which animals may be kept in the classroom? Which may not, and why?

 19. Art and Music a.

What forms of art and music are most highly valued? Â b.

What media and instruments are traditionally used? c.

What conventions are of particular significance? How do artistic conventions differ from those used or taught in school (e.g., the musical scale, two-dimensional representation of distance or depth)? d.

Is the creation of art and music limited to specialists, or within the competence of a wide range of individuals in the community? e.

What forms of art and music are considered appropriate for children to perform or appreciate? f.

Are there any behavioral prescriptions or taboos related to art and music (e.g., can both men and women sing,

does cutting faces in pumpkins or other fruits and vegetables violate religious concepts)? g.

How and to what extent may approval or disapproval be expressed?

20. Expectations and Aspirations a.

What defines the concepts of 'disadvantaged' and 'successful'? Â b.

To what extent is it possible or proper for an individual to express future goals (e.g., is it appropriate to ask, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?')? c.

What beliefs are held regarding 'luck' and 'fate'? d.

What significance does adherence to the traditional culture of the group have for the individual's potential achievement (from both the viewpoint of the minority and dominant cultures)? e.

What significance does the acquisition of the majority culture and the English language have (from both minority and dominant cultural perceptions)? f.

What potential roles are available within the native community which can provide individual fulfillment and satisfaction? g.

Do parents expect and desire assimilation of children to the dominant culture as a result of education and the acquisition of English? h.

Are the attitudes of community members and individuals the same as or different from those of community spokesmen?