Teaching cultural competence to root awareness and equality fully into our society Zoelle Frazer
At this point in our civilization, America has yet to achieve racial equality. America has struggled with hundreds of years of discrimination, but to really change as a society we must pin down the issue causing the hatered. Cultural competence consists of respecting and valuing other people’s cultures, beliefs and differences. With racism passed down through generations, we see a lack of cultural competence and a lack of cultural teaching. Becoming aware of our collective biases and rethinking our approach to cultural beliefs and differences can prevent hate and discrimination that we have struggled with in the past. Cultural competence, the state of being aware of your cultural beliefs or values and how they differ from other cultures, is not understood or prioritized in our society as it should be.
What is the importance of teaching culture in the classroom? Diversity is very crucial for awareness and is not present in a lot of schools, creating a close minded environment. “Students who learn about different cultures during their education feel more comfortable and safe with these differences later in life. This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves as well as in their interactions with others.” (Drexel University School of Education) We preserve the views of the people we surround ourselves with. This is why people have attitudes that are sculpted at a young age. When somebody is uncultured/uneducated, if a friend or family member expresses racism, habitually they can take on those views. We normally spend time with people whose interests, background, culture and language mirror ours. The unfortunate result, this can put barriers between groups of people and creates discriminating thinking towards others. Unless we do something about out discriminating views, they can stick with us for lifetimes, affecting others in our society. As our views and opinions progress in humanity, our actions and teachings must also change, providing a vision for a just society in which the respect of all people is recognised.
Relearning and reteaching what is right and wrong can give a new appreciation for people of all generations, and keeps us from repeating mistakes in our history. Nikita Stewart, with New York Times magazine, reflects on how ‘We are committing educational malpractice’: Why slavery is mistaught — and worse — in American schools. “Unlike math and reading, states are not required to meet academic content standards for teaching social studies and United States history. That means that there is no consensus on the curriculum around slavery, no uniform recommendation to explain an institution that was debated in the crafting of the Constitution and that has influenced nearly every aspect of American society since.” A lot of older generations have a bias when it comes to acceptance in our society, meaning our history is not always communicated as it should be. There are certain depictions of history that should be a norm for kids to gain an understanding of in school. Without full comprehension from the public regarding our history of discrimination, we cannot trully progress to make a change. My mom took an African-American history class in college that was very eye-opening, especially considering how she grew up with a conservative mom in illinois. She expressed to me, “I was able to see US history from a new perspective. It helped explain why Black people in my hometown had less money, were relegated to jobs that were not as skilled, and why they were not in the advanced classes in my high school. This sent me down the path of wanting to learn more.”
Thinking back on your personal education, does what you learned in school always match what you have learned about history through society? Ultimately students graduate with a poor understanding of how slavery shaped our country, and the lasting effects it has had. Critical race theory shows how U.S. social institutions are built with racism immersed in laws and procedures that lead to differential outcomes by race, categorizing individuals into groups of oppressors and victims. “A Colorado Springs area school district is on track to become the first in the state to ban the teaching of critical race theory.” (Denver 7 abc) as of 2021. It is important that as a society we become aware of our personal cultural beliefs compared to beliefs of other cultures, and continue to reteaching the hate and discrimination towards others that we have endured in the past. Our actions and teachings must adapt as human attitudes and beliefs also adapt, to provide a vision for a just society where everyone is respected.
All around the world you can find the seven wonders of the world, but the ocean is the most intriguing wonder of this world. The ocean contains more information and beauty than we could find for many more lifetimes. Looking down on our earth from space, you can see the rivers and streams which flood into the ocean like veins. The waterways flow like a human body. There are many ways that the human mind and body connect to water, in particular hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy shapes my sense of place in the fact that each body of water I find brings me serenity that I cannot find elsewhere, and the reality that all these bodies are connected like my own organs. Although the Colorado river is a part of my sense of place, I feel the ocean has influenced me in the most significant way. I have been lucky to experience the ocean and its comforts multiple times. A trip I took to Hanalei, Kauai with my close friend Iris and her mom was particularly impactful; primarily the independence and resilience it took to save for this trip, and venture far into the unknown. Though most importantly was the appreciation this trip gave me for travel and for what I call my happy place: the ocean. I gaze out the airplane window for hours watching the perpetual sea, I wonder what would be revealed if the sea appeared translucent. After a long day of travel and flying, Iris and I again peer out the airplane window as the sea we have been surveying begins to dot with land. The brilliant green catches my eyes as we land into a new world of rich vegetation and terrain. As soon as we depart from the airport and begin our journey on this island, I am mesmerized. I didn't imagine Hawaii as such a mountainous place, but these mountains are not like the mountains we know. These mountains are formed with ridges at the tops shaped like a knife, yet palm trees, green and jungle flourishes all across the faces. Misty clouds billow at the tips of the knife edges. These island mountains stand wide, not tall like mountain ranges, cascading in a fade where they meet the rest of the greenery and palm trees on the ground. Big unknown plants and bright yellow and pink flowers dot the side of the road in between long lines of palm trees. All the thoughts that constantly contain me flood to the back of my mind as Iris and I jump out of the car to run to touch the first sandy beach on our drive. As I reminisce about my past time seeing the ocean as a kid with my grandfather, I find sunning-starking differences in the two very far away beaches that are connected by the same big flowing body of water. I recall floating through the calm, warm saltwater of the bahamas as I am astonished by the waves that crash on this particular beach. They come one after another, stretching across the entire length of the beach, cooler to the touch when they approach the sandy shore then receding as a new wave appears moments later to touch my toes again. I walk slowly closer, I take a deep breath, in-out, drawing in the salty air. I turn my head to the left slightly as I get wind of the blasting sounds of waves crashing against the jagged rock tower that marks the beach's end. The waves continue to come one after another, each a new form created by the same body. I ease into the water up to my waist, unsure at first of how to approach the waves. The next wave comes barreling forward and I copy Iris’s movements as she jumps sideways against it. The cool water soaks my hot skin, I wade backwards deeper into the ocean and look up to find the next larger wave looming toward me. As it begins to crest I dive into the wave, it draws me up then releases me. I swim for a moment, the water absorbs me, salt leakes into my body and I pull my head up to breathe. After just a few minutes, my swim becomes more of a struggle. I drive through the next wave, plunging deep into the dark water and then push with my feet off the sandy floor to the surface. I pull up to catch my breath, I feel that my feet do not touch the ground anymore, salt closes around my throat as I survey my surroundings. I become conscious of how far the shore is and I close my eyes, lay on my back and begin to kick, pushing myself towards Iris and the shore. I paddle. I do not register the wave emerging towards me, I face the blue clear sky as the wave takes hold of me. I am pulled beneath the water, the undertow clutches me and holds its grip as the tide ebbs and overturns my body. Sand floods the water around me and drains into the crevices of my body, I feel the ocean floor again on the soles of my feet. Once shallow enough, I crawl my way all the way up the shore, my knees and palms burn as the sand turns from wet to hot. I reach Iris and her mom as I continue to crawl. Exhausted I collapse onto my belly, the sun saturates my back. I am aware of nothing but my surroundings as I accept the warmth and comfort. A German poet named Rainer Maria Rilke describes the release of stress in the body and mind connected to the ocean, "When anxious, uneasy, and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused." I sometimes use white noise waves to help calm myself sometimes for sleep. Just staring out to sea can act on the mind, pulling me into a meditative state. The blue vibrance of the sea is connected with feelings of calm and the flow of waves and the surge of the sea naturally soothes the body. The ocean breeze fills my lungs with happiness. I feel that the few trips I have had to experience this have left a lasting desire, when my mind takes a state of tranquility.