A Reflection of my Own Experiences of Culture and Identity in Relation to Education:

Humans are cultural beings with profound cultural dimensions that shape and construct the various layers of our identity (Wadham et. al, 2007). Consequently, this vast cultural coercion exists for everyone – no one is immune to the issues it ignites. The way we look, the way we speak, the way we walk, the way we converse about the way we look, speak and walk is a communication of our cultural identity. We are constantly judged each and everyday on the mediocre, daily activities and aspects of our lives.

Living in Australia I am surrounded by multiculturalism. Culture subliminally shaped and still shapes my everyday lifestyle. All my life I have grown up in the ‘Inner West’ suburbs of Sydney around the area of Bankstown. Unfortunately, people automatically assume I am from a low socio-economic, non-english speaking background, with little or no access to proper education to gather the necessary academic knowledge and insight to eventually complete a scholarly degree at University, in order to establish a prestigious career. These are the meanings associated with the symbols and actions of some individuals from this location. We as humans categorize every symbolic, materialistic and non-materialistic element, both living and non-living. Even in my referral to the terms ‘materialistic and non-materialistic’ and ‘living and non-living’, I have subconsciously created a classification system based upon the subject at hand. (Wadham et. al, 2007, pg 13)

I have constantly been surrounded by individuals whom share the same customs, views, beliefs and traditions as I do. I even attended a private Lebanese Maronite Catholic school from kindergarten until year 12. Lebanese cultural influences were present in the language I communicated with, the food I ate, the clothing I wore and the mannerisms I upheld. Surrounding relatives and friends who used to be immersed in this “cultural bubble” sort of warned me that I should think about moving to a multicultural school in order to experience the customs and belief systems of other cultures, otherwise I would find it difficult to adapt to and withstand the feeling of suddenly being exposed to the different cultural lifestyles after school. Henry Giroux (1993) states that today culture “becomes hybridized, it is more difficult to deny that different groups, communities and people are increasingly bound to each other in a myriad of complex relationships.” Hence, some may think the presence and relationships formed amongst people with conflicting views; proverbs, rules and behaviors all at the same time would be catastrophic.

Today, I attend a respected university, which prides itself upon its cultural diversity, and do not find it difficult or uncomfortable meeting or being exposed to dissimilar customs. I believe at whatever point in life, no matter how immersed we are in our own culture, it’s the acceptance and willingness to recognize, learn and educate ourselves, whether it be through schooling or some other means of education, to live within and contribute to our and others’ cultural lives to live happily and harmoniously. (Wadham et. al, 2007) 

References:

Ho, C. (2011). Respecting the Presence of Others: School Micropublics and Everyday Multiculturalism, Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32:6, 603-619

Henry A. Giroux. (1993). Living dangerously: Identity politics and the new cultural racism: Towards a critical pedagogy of representation, Cultural Studies, 7:1.

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