2/20/20; Week 7: Response to Culture and Psychology


An insightful friend once told me…

…the closer your actions align with your soul, the happier you’ll feel.

Why do you do the things you do? Is it because societal norms and your culture tell you to? Is it because that’s who you are and what feels right? If it’s the latter, good for you! That’s not easy to do in a world where we are expected to fit into culturally created ideas. Here are a few examples: genders are expected to behave in certain ways or pursue certain careers, some cultures are thought to excel in sports or academics over others, people should look, act, or a dress a certain way for their particular culture. If you don’t perform to certain cultural standards, it can be embarrassing and shameful. Self-esteem falls from failure to perform these cultural expectations.

Then there are those who do everything they can to fit the mold; to live within the boundaries that have been set by those around them without any thought for the natural talents, gifts, abilities, strengths, and desires they have been given. What happens to these people? Let’s take a look at one example.

In “Sister Act 2,” Rita, a young African American girl in high school has a passion and phenomenal talent for singing. Her mother is highly against it, because she wants Rita to get an education so she can get a good job and pay her bills. Rita is forced to drop choir. It is clear that Rita is not herself. She doesn’t smile anymore. There is no joy in her eyes. She avoids her friends and choir teacher. The movie shows her looking out the window at her friends with a very sad expression. She is down and depressed. Rita is unable to be who she really is or share her innate gifts and strengths, which affected her emotional well-being and self-confidence.

Emotional well-being and self-confidence are two major factors in students’ success. How do we promote emotional well-being and self-confidence in our students and those we associate with? I believe this lies in our willingness to allow individuals to be who they truly are inside regardless of cultural expectations. In the classroom, we can show appreciation for their gifts without categorizing into gender, culture, socioeconomic status, color, or religious background. Allowing students and those we associate with to align their actions with who they really are will promote self-confidence and happiness. 

What happened with Rita? It was a happy ending for her. She left her mom a note and joined her choir for the state competition. Her mom showed up to watch and realized how talented and happy her daughter was. Of course, the choir took first place and they lived happily ever after.

We will meet many Rita’s along our path. Let’s support them in their passions, gifts, and talents. Let’s help them flourish. Let’s provide a platform for them to break those molds and build self-esteem.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2/18/20; Week 7: Response to Differences in Manners

Image
I happen to be the mother of three boys (and two girls), but I am going to focus on the boys – especially my two youngest who are budding teenagers. For several years now, they have found immense humor in loud bodily functions. It drives me crazy! “What do you say?” is a common query to our boys. Seriously though, do they really mean “Excuse me,” when they flaunt their bodily functions to solicit reactions? Ugh… Manners are something we have been working on for a long time, and for the most part, our boys display what we have taught them in public (thank goodness). Three years ago, we had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Taiwan to visit my relatives. It was my husband and boys’ first time visiting Taiwan. They absolutely loved the food, hated the heat, and were totally stoked when burping at the table and slurping their food was allowed; so stoked that there were even a few comments about moving to Taiwan despite the heat. When we returned home, they attempted to continu...
Read more

1/16/20; Week 02: Response to "Is the Great American Teacher Dead?"

Image
We all have that favorite teacher...the teacher that brought out the best in us, made us think a little deeper, challenged us beyond our comfort zone, made us feel like we could learn anything, identified special talents, created a safe learning environment, or helped us understand difficult concepts.  Are these qualities of a "Great American Teacher?"  I believe they are.  In the article "Is the Great American Teacher Dead?" by John J. Ivers, he shares what he believes are important aspects of a good teacher.  While all of them are essential, there are a few that tug at my heartstrings as a result of my personal experience as a student.  I will share a few of them and how they influenced me. Invitational Education - creating an emotionally safe and positive place for students where they feel self-worth and value.  Having been a student in this, and the opposite, type of environment, I recognized my belief in myself and ability to learn was greater i...
Read more

2/6/20; Week 5: Response to “Cultural Differences Concerning Time”

Image
What do you value most…                                                 …schedules or relationships? How would your behavior answer that question? My answer to that question would be relationships.   Depending on the situation, though, my behavior may not relay the same answer.   Just ask my family.   They know I value them and our relationships; however, they may question that if they are not ready for church on time.   Professor Ivers (BYU-I) in his “Cultural Differences Concerning Time” lecture offers some insight into cultures that are managed by schedules (monochronic) and cultures that are managed by relationships (polychronic).   Monochronic societies reward punctuality and discipline.   ...
Read more