Abstract This paper explains that only through interaction and collaboration among students, teachers, parents and community members will bi-cultural and bilingual students develop an identity and realize their true potential; therefore, schools that neglect to infuse curricula and educational environment with interactive and collaborative policies fail students and society. The author points out that the current number of bilingual programs available in the United Students serve a very small percentage of the actual number of bilingual students in need and these programs. The paper stresses that teachers must understand that a culturally diverse student base means that not all students have the same reference point when learning in the classroom because what is intuitive to one student may seem foreign to another depending on their cultural heritage.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Understanding Bilingual Education and ESL
Cognitive and Linguistic Development in Bi-cultural Students
Structuring Bilingual and ESL Classrooms to Enable Student Achievement
Cultural Conflict Students Face in Schools
Analysis
Conclusions
From the Paper "The manner in which adults and children interact are also different among various cultures. In most traditional U.S. classrooms for example, most teachers repeatedly ask questions of students to evaluate their achievement. This process may confuse bicultural students who grow up in a culture where adults only ask children questions when they don't know an answer themselves; students in this situation may not understand why a teacher would ask a question if they already had the answer causing a disruption in learning.Text organization also varies among cultures."
This paper discusses common traits of adult English Second Language (ESL) students, which impede their learning, and gives examples of how understanding American culture can increase the student's ability to learn the English language.
Abstract This paper explains that culture is embraced and at times rejected by people trying to assimilate into another culture and to learn a new language. The author points out that a student's diverse attitude towards culture does not have to be seen as negative; however, in education, it often is. The paper lists eight common traits of people, who try to assimilate into a culture, which must be taken into consideration in the ESL classroom. The author stresses that language is the key to successful adjustment and identification into a dominant society. The paper underscores that the easiest way to teach a language is to have the student identify with the culture they are moving into. The paper stresses that the teacher has a responsibility to not only teach the English language to the bi-cultural student but also to assimilate the student into the culture with minimal conflict.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Common Traits of an ESL Student
Examples of Incorporating Culture into the Teaching of Language in the ESL Classroom
Conclusion
From the Paper "There are a variety of ways to incorporate culture into the ESL classroom like including music, stories, teaching gender roles, differences in food and the proper behavior in public. These are all things that must be done to flow freely and easily in American society, but could be filled with conflict for a person who does not speak English and who needs to fulfill the basic requirements of assimilating into American culture. The incorporation of these simple yet basic elements in American culture will enhance the teaching of an ESL classroom and provide a fundamental understanding of the language they are learning."
Abstract This paper investigates the inherent problems that exist in families characterized by parents and stepparents of a biracial union or of a union that is characterized by diversity in terms of ethnic, cultural or religious differences. It also looks at diverse households headed by lesbian or gay parents. The paper analyzes the socio-cultural theories of Roland Tharp and the 'Spheres of Influence' as proposed in the work of Dr. Joyce Epstein.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Objective
Introduction
Conceptual Framework
Literature Review
Intervention
Outcomes
Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "It is clear that it is not possible to just 'ignore' the differences that exist in hopes that they become illusory or nonexistent because these differences are real and are dynamic in the lives of these children. What has been noted in this study to be of great importance is the active participation of the parents and stepparents in the daily activities and events that take place at school because as these parents integrate themselves more fully into the community they effectively place safezones into effect for their children and at the same time present a model for other parents and other children as to the appropriate behavior in the face of the differences that exist. It is not possible that these differences will merely go away but what is possible is that the community at large will become used to the differences thereby enabling the children to fully participate in the school and community events without having a brand upon them due to these differences in racial or culture."
Abstract This paper describes the great benefits of the bi-lingual nature of the population of the United States today. The paper illustrates how historically American was a great immigrant melting pot with many languages from the colonial population's mother country. The author states that the United States is still the same immigrant nation, and that this quality of diversity and multi-cultural and multi-lingual society can only strengthen America. The paper states that the cultural paranoia of English as the only official language weakens the nation as a whole.
From the Paper "Just as languages, other than English have at all times been a part of our history and culture, debate over founding a national language dates back to the country's initial stages. John Adams proposed to the Continental Congress in 1780 that an official academy be shaped to "purify, develop, and dictate usage of," English. His suggestion was discarded as unjust and a danger to personal freedom. However, limiting language laws have been passed from time to time since the late 19th century, generally in an answer to new waves of immigration. These laws, in tradition if not in purpose, have punished immigrants for their foreignness and violated their rights."
Abstract Discusses BI as a rapidly growing market. Examines the effect of global competition and 24/7 operations via technology on the tools used by BI, the evolution from spreadsheets and contracts to business intelligence portals, Internet tools, and IBM as a leader in the BI market.
From the Paper BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE The business environment is increasingly competitive, global and deregulated. Because of this business must be aggressive when trying to find ways to differentiate themselves and gain competitive advantage. One of the most critical...
Tags:bi, business, intelli, business:, general, business:, general, computer, science
This paper analyzes the article 'Early Childhood Bilingual Classrooms' by Jocelyn Smrekar (2005) from "Making a Difference in the Lives of Bilingual/Bi-cultural Children".
Abstract This paper explains that Jocelyn Smrekar in her article 'Early Childhood Bilingual Classrooms' by (2005) suggests that the bilingual education of young children should not be merely about language acquisition but also about a kind of cultural meeting of the minds of teachers and students of a variety of different backgrounds. The author points out that Smrekar's views in this sense coalesces with the esteemed cognitive academic language learning approach (CALLA), which states that valuing the student's own prior knowledge and cultural experiences and relating this knowledge to academic learning in a new language and culture is a key aspect of creating a learning-friendly environment for foreign language acquisition. The paper criticizes Smrekar because, unlike CALLA, she does not give much advice for teachers in terms of creating hands-on approaches that might be effective in the everyday life of the classroom.
Table of Contents:
Article Summary
In Favor of the Article's Point of View
Against the Article
Summary
From the Paper "Smrekar provides helpful reminders that young children do not learn language as if by magic, rather individual students may vary in the levels of exposure they have to the language at home and in their social environments. She also encourages teachers not to judge student's overall intelligence harshly, merely because they make common initial linguistic mistakes in using English such as code mixing, or referring with a specific word to all general examples of a type, or conversely use under-extensions of specific vocabulary words, or not using a general vocabulary word in a host of specific contexts."
Abstract The writer of this paper details the manner in which various values and cultural traditions can impact an individual's or group's beliefs, attitudes and actions with respect to their day-to-day existence. The writer contends and explains how cultural differences affect communication, interaction and actions amongst different people. In an environment where little cultural diversity exists, it is likely that cultural differences will have little or no impact on human relations. This paper also discusses the issue of cultural differences in the workplace. Cultural diversity can lead to conflict as well as collaboration within the workplace, depending on whether or not people are willing to embrace people that are culturally different. This paper examines the impact of cultural diversity in the classroom, where teachers are being asked to become more culturally literate so that they can better address the needs of all their students, rather than the few who fall into one or two categories. This paper also explores the issue of students with varying cultural backgrounds that have different perceptions of learning and communicating and the manner in which their needs are met.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Analysis of Cultural Traditions and Human Relations
Conclusions
References
From the Paper "Cultural differences even impact students in the classroom. More and more teachers are being asked to become more culturally literate so that they can better address the needs of all their students, rather than the few who fall into one or two categories. Students with varying cultural backgrounds have different perceptions of learning and communicating, thus may have a difficult time achieving in a classroom that does not recognize their cultural differences and methods of learning. For students to be successful in a culturally diverse environment, teachers must work to improve communications and the methods they use to teach, to ensure that they are addressing the needs of a diverse population. To understand how cultural differences impact human relations one must also understand what culture is."
A review of the articles "Theories of Culture" by Roger M. Keesing and "Marking Boundaries - Culture as Category Work" - Qualitative Inquiry by Anne Ryen and David Silverman.
Abstract This paper discusses articles by Roger M. Keesing and Anne Ryen and David Silverman on what culture is, and how we study it, and see what is different in one culture, as opposed to a different culture, or in a small aspect of culture. The paper explains that Keesing seems to be more inclined to see culture in dynamic ways, as always changing or developing, or that has to do with thinking processes, where Ryen and Silverman discuss culture in more material terms that can affect how people of different cultures understand each other. The paper also discusses how Keesing looks at cultures as structural systems so that the scholar will look at how a culture or a structure began and how it continues to influence human life. The writer believes that Ryen and Silverman seem more tied up in how an outsider looks at a culture, the dynamics of importance of what go on between human beings, as individuals, as opposed to the cultural system that Keesing tried to understand. The writer concludes that both articles manage to get across the care that must be taken when researching cultures that are not one's own, but the writer feels that Keesing's work is still not out-dated.
Outline:
Introduction
Theories of Culture The Human Factor
Last Remarks
From the Paper "A culture may adapt because new technology or kinds of organization have come along, or it may change so that a people survive, as in cultures that begin to conserve something so that they can survive in their environment. A desert people, for instance, may show a culture that is protective of water, does not waste water, or whose art shows themes of happiness as the coming of the rain, or safely getting to a place where water is available. Keesing then begins to look at ideational theories of culture that have to do with cognitive systems and how people decide what is special, appealing or what must be done, as all can influence culture. (1974:77f)."
Abstract The question, What is popular culture and how does it relate to Eastern and Western societies? is an apparently simple query that conceals a complex range of social cultural and economic aspects. This essay examines this question, beginning with a provisional definition of popular culture and an attempt to distinguish it from other cultural forms such as high culture and mass culture. The thesis is argued that popular culture is, in its fundamental elements, a commercial culture that is dependent to an extraordinary degree upon the mass media as a technological vehicle for its messages and products.
Abstract The paper states that it is not complicated to find some globalized places such as airline terminals, international hotels or CNN business news revealing the effects of globalization and its repercussions on our understanding of culture in the modern world. The paper relates that through the growing of global interconnections and the processes of ideas and global goods crossing national borders, cultures fuse across the globe. The paper also discusses the presence of English as an international language, and a homogenization of culture. The paper confirms that, culture is a set of values and practices characterized by its particularity, which nevertheless needs universal criteria as a reference to justify this particularity. It is also crucial to define culture as an "encompassing" concept and to keep in mind that it is difficult to know what is cultural.
From the Paper "In addition, a shared global culture is also relevant as a global dissemination of an American or Western culture. Indeed the processes of globalization are providing fuel for a cultural imperialism, that is to say a global culture liable to be a hegemonic culture. Thus the assertion of a shared global culture seems to be linked to what Friedman describes as "the increasing hegemony of particular central cultures, the diffusion of American values, consumers goods and lifestyles" (Friedman, 1994: 195). The diffusion of dominant standard icons and references such as MacDonald's, Coca-Cola leads to think about an obvious Americanization. In a word, cultures are both confronted by a global dominance of the western culture and by the practices of global capitalism. The result is probably a decrease of cultural differences: a process which undeniably worked to the advantage of the USA and others Western nations. A striking example of this tendency of cultural imperialism is the United Nations Educations Scientific and Cultural Organization's call for a "new world information and communication order" and its politics on global culture."
Abstract This paper presents a study to identify pertinent traits that characterize effective leaders in various societal settings. The paper relates that the mixed methodology used in this study is (1) a qualitative analysis of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning the specific relationship between leadership styles, organizational culture and the larger society and (2) a review and synthesis of various case studies concerning the impact of leadership on cross-cultural organizational performance. The paper includes a summary of the major aims and objectives of the study and an analysis of implications for leaders and recommendations for organizations such as "treat all people fairly".
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Aims and Objectives
Significance of the Study
Rationale of the Study
Literature Review
Background and Overview
Definitions of Culture Table: Bureaucratic, Innovative and Supportive Organizational Cultures Table: Family-Owned and Operated Organizational Cultures Table: Masculine and Collectivist Organizational Cultures Cultural Aspects of Organizational Leadership
Relationship between Organizational Leadership and Society
Table: Types of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
Table: Potential Reasons Why Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) Influence Work Group And/Or Organizational Performance
Discussion
Chapter Summary
Methodology
Description of the Study Approach
Data-Collection
Sample
Setting
Ethical Considerations
Evaluative Action Plan
Instruments/Measurements
Chapter Summary
Results and Presentation of Findings
Discussion, Implications and Recommendations
Results and Presentation of Findings
Introduction
Sample
Studies
Table: Recapitulation and Summary of Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles Consulted
Setting
Ethical Considerations
Evaluative Action Plan
Table: Noblit and Hare's Meta-Ethnographic Comparative Method
Instruments/Measurements
Chapter Summary
Discussion, Implications and Recommendations
Introduction
Summary of Major Aims and Objectives
Implications
Recommendations
Limitations
From the Paper "These responsibilities frequently involve decision processes that are unstructured, complex, and ambiguous; the studies to date indicate that the outcomes of such decision processes can be affected greatly by the characteristics of the team and its members.
"Taken together, the foregoing suggests that an organization's culture is highly influenced by its top leadership, but workers play a reciprocal role by helping them achieve the organization's goals and keeping it competitive."
Abstract The writer of this paper critically analyzes the ways in which De Munch and Korotayev start out by explaining that it is difficult to research across cultures because of "cross-cultural pollenization" that is, one culture tends to absorb some traits of the other. They point out that without adequate controls, the research can give both false confirmations of the hypothesis as well as false negatives. This paper is a negative critique of Cultural Units in Cross-Cultural Research.
From the Paper "The first group might look culturally diverse at first: 4 Spanish; 4 Iraqi; 1 Russian; 1 Estonian; 1 Javanese; 1 Ganda; one Greek; one Maronite-Lebanese. However, this group had significant cultural similarities, which the authors of course knew because they contrived the group. Some of the clerics were Catholic and therefore celibate. Others were Moslem and allowed more than one wife. It is hard to imagine how this example sheds any light on either cross-cultural studies or statistical and research methods."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth discussion of multiculturalism, it defines it and states that an entirely different view of culture is needed in the intellectual discourse of society. Elst analyzes culture using the example of analyzing sex. Elst makes it clear in his analysis that pluralities of identity are the norm, that everyone is multi-ethnic and multi-racial in some fashion. Finally, the paper concludes that each individual should study and redefine his own culture.
From the Paper "Even in the current, mainstream political debate over what constitutes ?multiculturalism,? it is common cultural parlance to view culture as a static entity. Multiculturalism is defined as the manner in which more cultures are integrated into the fabric of the dominant discourse, rather than as a way of deconstructing notions of how culture itself is perceived and misperceived. As the title of Dirk Van Der Elst's book Culture as Given, Culture as Choice, suggests, however, framing the debate in such a fashion is not necessarily the most radical choice. Elst suggests that nothing really exists as ?culture,? rather culture itself is a constructed, socially produced norm."
Tags:cultural, multiculturalism, Dirk, Van, Der, Elst, social, norm
Abstract This paper looks at Hispanic culture and how it has helped shape and mold American culture. The great extent to which Latin American dance, music, and food have become an intrinsic part of the overall American culture is cited as an example of this influence. The paper concludes by suggesting that American culture truly is a blend of cultures from all over the world.
From the Paper "America has often been referred to as the great melting pot, a smorgasbord of people with various racial, cultural and ethnic identities and traditions. Tied to this view is the idea that the culture of the American people should be defined as a cornucopia of different cultures melded into one to form a new, hybrid culture. Many different cultures have influenced the overall culture within the United States particularly that of the Latin American people with whom I associate."
Tags: melting, pot, ethnic, cultural, identities, traditions, united, states
Abstract As America becomes increasingly more diverse, the society will be presented with the challenge of understanding our cultural differences. This paper develops and designs a learning project that compares cultural differences of two ethnic/cultural groups. For the purposes of this project the writer compares the differences between Asian and Western cultures. The project is based on the cultural impact of performance in work force, production, sales, customer services, etc. Before one can create a learning project, one must first understand the cultural backgrounds of both groups.
From the Paper "Westerners tend to perform differently in the workforce than Asian workers. Westerners tend to be motivated by promotions and monetary incentives while Asian workers tend to want what is best for the entire company and their coworkers. In addition, jobs in the western workforce have higher turnover rates than those in the Asian workforce because Asian workers tend to stay with one company for a lifetime."
