‘It’s not the school that breeds successful students. It’s the parents.’

Living within a global economy where governments are pressured to meet the demands of advanced capitalism means that the physical, economic, and political distance between the more privileged members of society and the disempowered communities grow greater and greater. In the recent weeks, there have been great discussions on the government funding in both private and public education sectors; ‘Gonski Report.’

In Australia, the concern for educational ‘quality’ has driven the removal of some children into private schools as parents view them having more discipline, values-based and better resourced than public schools. However, because it is not always possible for people in a lower socio-economic class to put their children in the best schools provided, the idea of ‘equal education’ is challenged.

The withdrawal of children to the private sector has increasingly left public schools with the ‘residual’ student body; students from poorer backgrounds, sometimes coinciding with disadvantaged migrant backgrounds. In other words, “state schools, outside the selective schools are becoming the repositories of residual education. Like public housing became residual housing, our state schools are becoming places of last resort.”

From Ho’s article, we capture how socioeconomic profiles in Sydney are reflected upon geographical variations. For example, Western Sydney, which has the lowest socioeconomic profile in Sydney, comprises both established migrants and the majority of new arrivals. Consequently, when compared to the wealthy northern suburbs, they tend to be more culturally diverse and have higher percentages of LBOTE students.

Government schools cater for 80 per cent of children from low socio-economic backgrounds, 85 per cent of indigenous children and 79 per cent of children with disabilities such as those who have not spoken a word of English before. Studies also show that when a child starts school, 50 per cent of their future academic achievement is already determined by their family background, socio-economic status and intellectual ability. Therefore, teachers are unable to bridge that gap no matter how hard they work if they don't have support, such as more support staff, smaller class sizes and more professional development time.

Ultimately, although each teen enjoys school and has dreams of what they want to be, the uncomfortable truth is that it’s where they come from, and their parents’ income, that often plays a big role in determining their future. This brings us to a deeper understanding that it’s the equity gap that is the key battleground in the debate over education funding. To close the equity gap, shifting government funding gradually from the private to the public sector should be considered.

References:

·         Ho, C. (2011). Respecting the presence of others: School micropublics and everyday multiculturalism. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32(6), pg. 603-619

·         http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/the-invisible-backpack-and-why-it-makes-the-education-gap-hard-to-close-20120908-25lcv.html

Parents and Values

 “Values and beliefs, and the norms that follow from them, are a major component of any culture.” Although some people believe that our values and beliefs are ‘natural’; basic biological explanation as to why we view, feel, and behave the way we do, for many others, it is simply just the answer that some people manipulate their thoughts onto others. Families exert the first and most important influence on the formation of individual values. The values which are transmitted in the early years of learning are generally kept through life. 

 The article of Sunday telegraph’s ‘Kids are labelled new fashionistas’ brings us to question upon these actions of mothers who splurge on hundreds of dollars on designer clothes for their kids. Is this overindulgence and brand loyalty harmful or healthy to their kids?

In my personal opinion, mothers treating toddlers like fashion horses are definitely a problem. Not because of a blind allegiance to certain brands, but because the mentality behind it is a symptom of something more ominous, a cultural and moral disease this symptom represents.

Most kids, in fact most people, choose to fulfil their instinct by begging for acceptance, then with very little introspection, they make their choices according to what will win them the most approval. In today’s digital age, the media has pervaded our kids’ lives with more external messages than ever before, leaving very little opportunity for the quiet reflection they need to think. In other words, by being externally directed, our children's futures often hinge on who or what they happen to stumble into. 

Since externally directed children have such weak inner compasses, their inner dishonesty can easily override it, making it very difficult for them to reject poor choices. So the doorway to immoral behavior deepens, along with their sense of accountability and responsibility. Soon it will result to death of moral absolutes and widening norms for behavior because realities and expectations formed by external forces rather than our own minds. 

This misguided choice-making style is the cause of most, if not all of the problems kids face in the world today such as body image and eating disorders, gangs and cults, substance and alcohol abuse, racism and so on. Therefore when a problem so obvious to fix, parents have a responsibility to raise their children to be self-guided, not influencing them to be ‘fashion conscious’, so that they’ll have a lifelong skill that empowers them to recognize and control everything that tried to influence their choices. 

References:

·         Wadham, B. Pudsey, J. & Boyd, R. (2007). Culture and Education. Sydney: Pearson Education, Chapter 1: What is culture?

·         http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/kids-are-labelled-new-fashionistas/story-e6freuy9-1226443421885

Post 1 - Cultural Continuity and Education

As we move through the 21st century, we are increasingly seeing the emphasis shift from students as robotic, generic, data receptors to cultured individuals that actively process the information presented to them. Inherent in this framework is the idea of students as cultured individuals, who approach their schooling lives differently to every other student around them. Therefore, cultures must be recognized and incorporated into the way we teach students.We can see the importance of this through the comparison of two quotes from Pudsey, Wadham and Boyd's first chapter in the book Culture and Education. These quotes are "Culture shapes education and education shapes culture" and "Culture is the embodied lens we inherit from the past via which we look at the world".

An article concerning the well being of aboriginal Australians and the part that identity and culture play provides us with a great example of how education can help to close the health gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. The article argues that "The cumulative effect of inter-generational trauma and ‘malignant grief', combined with social and economic disadvantage, has resulted in high rates of psychological distress, substance abuse and self-harm. These three factors have been compounded in contemporary education, and fundamental changes must be made to the way Aboriginal culture is accessed and expressed, in order to make positive changes to the "embodied lens" at which Aborigines see themselves in contemporary society. If things continue along this path, Indigenous Australians are at risk of losing their sense of identity and culture. Education can be used to celebrate certain parts of history, and to blunt harmful ideas that have existed for quite frankly, too long. It can be used to shape culture from something that has been inherently taboo, into something that is celebrated amongst both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. In this way, the causes of inter generational trauma and malignant grief can be spoken about and dealt with, so that their impact on a students future will be, to some extent, lessened.

A Canadian expert in Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention has argued that "Indigenous communities that take steps to preserve their cultural past and control their civic lives experience better health and fewer suicides". Professor Michael Chandler, of the University of British Columbia in Canada, has found "having a sense of identity and cultural continuity can help Aboriginal people, especially youth, to see they have a future.  Self-government, land rights, community-controlled services, women in positions of leadership and facilities dedicated to cultural purposes have all been identified as markers of cultural continuity." An important step in achieving this is to redevelop how Aboriginal Australians are portrayed in Australian History through schooling, to shift emphasis from the past to the future, and to allow them to find an identity for  themselves, rather than having a stereotype placed upon on them.

References

Unknown author, Culture and identity key to helping Indigenous mental health, Found at http://phys.org/wire-news/104647239/culture-and-identity-key-to-helping-indigenous-mental-health.html

Wadham, B.Pudsey, J. & Boyd, R. (2007). Culture and education. Sydney: Pearson Education. Chapter 1: What is culture?

Who we are, what we are?

Have you ever thought about your own identity? What you want to be and how people view you as at school? Let me start with explaining the differences in between the two.

Utilitarianism, which is a type of naturalism, the laws of nature. It is when one's identity or self-interest is rightly understood. It creates the idea that there should be some idea of the common good.

Expressionism, on the other hand, emphasises on the "authentic self". The way to be in the world (standards), rather than tradition, obligation and commitment. The aim is ‘self-fulfilment through ‘knowing’ yourself – there is no such thing as a moral consensus.

What is the problem here then? Imagine a classroom full of students who want to search for their "authentic self identity". It will probably look like this... or worse...

"Free Spirit" in classrooms 

Rieff suggested in Sociology on Culture that “Traditional moral authorities such as the churches and parents no longer have (or, in many cases, want) the power make rules and enforce them.  There is a sense in which, compared to other eras, almost anything goes”. (p.25) It is scary when you think about it, like the image that is shown above, now we are just "free spirits". (Like how my high school teacher would put it)

Schools are "traditional moral authorities". We know when to listen and obey certain rules. We are aware that the teachers are the ones who have more authorities over us, thus we know that we need to quiet when they are talking. However, as humans, we seek to identify ourselves. We desire to learn who we really are, we seek for opportunities and freedom to do so. This sense of "SELF", the word "I" is itself rebellious, is Desire to go against society, to strive for freedom against the constraints of social institutions and relationships with others. And that was the reason why we've always had labels of people around at my high school, for example, FOBs, niggas, rock n' rolls, etc. Despite the fact that they don't actually wanted to be called like that. It was simply a cultural thing to do. it is interesting that sometimes they call themselves by "tags" to fit into this particular culture. I was called to be a FOB, and I certainly agree because I do have an accent in some sort... But I would only allow certain groups of people to call me by that "tag" to make myself feel better about myself. And I do that because I know it would make myself look humorous and I would fit into my own "Asian group" easier. As students, we know when and where to allow our "free spirits" to go around. This is an act of expressing our "authentic self", without morals. Obviously, we won't call anyone a FOB, nigga or something even worse in front of a teacher. Because we know that we will get into trouble if we did. There are, of course, girls who do that...and you know the consequences...

My point is that, identity politics has challenged the idea of ‘universal man’. In some sense, it has broken the idea of moral and tradition. On the other hand, here is always a balance in between Utilitarianism and Expressionism simply because morals and traditions do exist and have authority to a certain extend in our educational fields.


Reference:

Handbook of Sociological Theory -  edited by Jonathan H. Turner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalism_(philosophy)

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Textbook: Sociology on Culture

1st post: Culture and Education

“Culture shapes education and education shapes culture.” Culture’s present in education has influenced the ways students see about the world, their own identities and how they fit into that cultural world. Especially when students at the very young age and they unconsciously absorb everything they learn and experience in everyday life, culture becomes a base for them to build everything upon it. It is not really a good thing for them to give meanings to the world around them based on specific culture and religion. One example on the recent media is about multi-faith primary schools are forced to hold Christian religious classes even if the school does not want them. 

Ormond Primary is one specific example of the issue. The school principal said it was not the school’s purpose to adopt the Christian classes for the students. It is forced to open weekly thirty minutes classes. Parents have choices whether to let the kids participate in the classes or not but the school has no choice but to open these classes. Ormond Primary is a multi-faith primary school and the question is ‘Why do the Christian classes take place as an essential part of the school education while it is a school with different cultures and religions?’ This issue has worried those parents with different culture backgrounds who do not want their kids to be separated from their classmates and it could result in more ways of discrimination. 

Multi-faith school is a society where students with different culture backgrounds can belong in same environment and connecting with others. Different cultures have shaped students to think differently about who they are, feel different about the world around them, how they behave and provide them with different choices to operate in that world. For example the choices they make to dress up, identify themselves in society, the food they eat, the way they response tell who they are. Adopting Christian classes into educational program of multi-faith school influence the values, meanings and believes of young students. It also could create a classification systems in the school such as Christian group, Jewish group, Buddhism group... which could lead to serious discrimination in school. As postcolonial theory’s main theme is about cross-cultural meeting, exchange and mixing, multi-faith school supposed to be a multicultural family with no boundaries between students, it is not meant to be divided and be separated into subgroups of cultures. 

References: 

1. Susie O'Brien, Christian classes mandatory at multi-faith primary school, Herald Sun available at: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/christian-classes-mandatory-at-multi-faith-primary-schools/story-fn7x8me2-1226292536070
2. Wadham, B.Pudsey, J. & Boyd, R. (2007). Culture and education. Sydney: Pearson Education. Chapter 1: What is culture?

new member of group

hey peoples,

I was enrolled a bit later into this course but I'm Edmonda. Look forward to meeting you guys in class.

Chile Rising

Hey found this from one of the facebook groups I'm in for UNSW education. Haven't fully analysed it yet but I want to put it out there now. Please let me know if the hyperlink doesn't work..Education in Chile