American Folktales to Those of Other Cultures: Native American and Hispanic - Essay Example

A Comparative Study of American Folktales to Those of Other Cultures: Native American and Hispanic Introduction Folktales have been a part of culture and are passed down from generation to generation. They relate to the society they originate from and mirror its aspirations. They act as a powerful tool to teach moral values besides providing entertainment to the target audience which usually comprises children. Native American Folktales Greene (2008) groups the folktales of Native Americans into four sections. Stories about the origins of the world have parallels to such stories in the Judeo-Christian world. Stories of creation also relate to the raven which is shown as wise. Some stories point to ancient professions like farming and hunting (pp. 29-30). “Traditional stories originate from a specific people, and we expect them to accurately reflect those people” (Rees, 2007). Some tales come under the head heroes, heroines, villains and fools. Heroic characters defend humans from monsters. Some deities are shown as having the same flaws that humans possess. There are also tales about punishment meted out to certain people. Emphasis is given to a social structure based on the goodness of humans. The supernatural world is also depicted in some of the tales. Each tribe portrays the action of characters as either good or bad. These folktales cover a time span ranging from the creation to the first contact with Europeans. There are references to ‘Spaniards’ in some tales which show the amount of influence of the western world. Hispanic Folktales Hispanic or Latin American folk tales have a wide variety to offer, given the geographic diversity. These folk tales encompass a region stretching from Mexico to the tip of South America and include Cuba and small islands that are part of the Americas. In most of these folktales we find nature, animals and birds, and supernatural beings as the focus of attention. Not only does every country in the region have its own folk lore, but there are also variations or tribe-specific tales whose context should be taken into account while studying specific and isolated stories. In many tales, animals are known to converse with humans. American Folktales American folktales in the truest sense point to their distinct European roots. As described in the web article, American folklore (n.d.), Saint Nicholas is a recurring character in folktales such as “A Gift from Saint Nicholas” or “Der Belznickel”. “Invisible Hands” and “Ocean born Mary”, on the other hand, talk about the European migrants in America. Again, as illustrated in the infoplease database, Figures and Legends in American Folklore (n.d.), the interaction with the western part of America by those who made the US their home has given rise to stories about the Wild West and those who countered the native Indians. “Daniel Boone”, “Billy the Kid” and “Buffalo Bill” are examples for this. “Jesse James” is depicted as the American Robin Hood. Similarly, instances about legendary figures from politics as in “Davy Crocket” (congressman) or “Betsy Ross” (who is said to have made the first American flag) also abound. Finally, “Uncle Sam” symbolises the US and the American people itself. Connecting to the Classroom Environment The curriculum should be connected to culture through exemplars from the students’ backgrounds, because according to Hershfeldt, Sechrest, Pell, Rosenberg, Bradshaw and Leaf (2010), recognising that students from diverse backgrounds behave differently helps teachers to respond appropriately. Cultural Students who hail from rural backgrounds and professing non-Christian faiths have a different world view from the others. These children find it difficult to relate to urban settings and respond likewise. Employing folktales from their backgrounds ensure that they can understand concepts better. Linguistic At times a student speaks a foreign tongue only. Children should be given the time and encouragement to pick up English. As part of this, initial errors of students should be overlooked until they are at par with the rest of the class. Family The behaviour patterns of children relate directly to those of the parents which in turn are based on the culture of the parents which again is influenced by a host of other factors. Teachers should familiarise themselves with the parents to get an in-depth knowledge of the child. Ways to convey high expectations for all students The very purpose of education is student success. Only by setting high goals can an effort be made to achieve them. These goals or expectations are to be set by the teacher for the student. The student should then be informed about what is expected of him/her. According to Bernard (1991), this can be done in two ways as described below; 1. Personal Relationships According to Bernard, teachers and school staff should communicate to students what is expected of them. This can be done through guidance, challenges, stimulus and support. Successful teachers do not give up on poor children. They find the quality that is inside and communicate it to the child. They start from the strengths and interests of children. Thus, a relationship that conveys high expectations to students can develop the self-esteem of children. 2. Method of Organising Learning As Bernard purports, student gets the opportunity to excel not just in academics but also in extracurricular activities. Likewise, teachers who teach a range of learning styles can communicate to the student that the individual strengths of each student are valued by the school. Schools that encourage critical thinking can effectively communicate the expectation that students can solve complex problems and take important decisions. Cultural Aspects and Teacher Planning ‘Teaching Tolerance’ (as cited in its website) is a project that is to launch ‘Perspectives for a Diverse America’. This is a free, web-based curriculum which includes standards against bias, an anthology of texts and a learning plan. The anti-bias texts are of both literary and information types. The online anthology contains audio-visual texts. The learning plan includes reading, writing, speaking and hearing besides social action. Teachers can build their own plans based on goals and skill levels. This would give teachers control over teaching. The highlight of the texts used therein is that they go beyond issues of race and ethnicity (Teaching Tolerance). Cultural Aspects and Parental Involvement As LaRocque, Kleiman, and Darling (2011) purport, based on the ethnic background, the involvement of parents in the school life of children differs. There is a need for communication between parents and teachers. According to the writers, both parties should understand each other’s cultures so that they can meet half-way; and the aim of both parents and teachers is student excellence. The inherent knowledge of the parents about the child should be tapped to reach the desired level of success. Misunderstandings on the part of both parents and teachers ought to be sorted out. All the stakeholders in the learning process like administrators, the community at large etc should be involved in the excellence creation process. Core Values at Saint Leo University Saint Leo University believes in values which it adheres to uncompromisingly. These are ‘excellence, community, respect, personal development, responsible stewardship and integrity’ (Saint Leo University). Respect Every individual has unique talents and strives to maintain his/her dignity. The university seeks everyone’s commitment to excellence in its activities. What strengthens the community is the unity and diversity of Americans, the free exchange of ideas, and harmony in aspects of life, work and studies. Respect is the very cornerstone for integrating a culturally diverse classroom. When one accepts and understands differences, one would have fulfilled his/her part in reaching out to others. A positive and definite reaction would definitely be forthcoming on the part of the diverse elements. Their integration into the mainstream would then follow effortlessly. When the majority community respects the minority one, this reflects in the classroom too, leading to student excellence. Integrity The university demands that all its members deliver on the promise for excellence. Everyone from the staff to the students is to abide by honesty, justice and consistency in all respects. When one is honest and upright, he/she can treat every individual fairly irrespective of background. One can take along any person from any cross section of society. This results in harmony in the community which uses it as an impetus for further growth and lasting prosperity. In the case of cultural diversity, high achievement for each and every student can hence become a reality. Teacher Planning Resources National Education Association’s ‘Diversity Resources’ is an excellent website that gives information on various issues of diversity. The website lists various links with a short summary of each link. The links have their sources in universities and various institutions which are involved in education in general and diversity in particular. The texts linked to in the site are in the form of articles, checklists, stories, strategies. Apart from a resource hub for diversity issues, it also encompasses other areas related to culture viz. cooking, ethnic calendars, religious glossary etc. Videos ‘Multicultural Resources: An Annotated Bibliography of Video Resources’ is an excellent source for videos relating to cultural diversity. The site classifies the videos into different heads like Identity, Multiculturalism etc, and provides details regarding each video under the relevant head. The appendix of the site contains the list of distributors and media resource centres. http://www.ccis-calgary.ab.ca/uploads/CDIS/Diversity_Resource_Centre/Video_Resources_AAME.pdf Conclusion To sum up, cultural diversity has come to stay in the US. There is an urgent need to address this issue given the multi-cultural nature of the population. To integrate other cultures into the mainstream, one should understand the differences among cultures and how best to harmonise these differences. It is only with respect and communication that peace and prosperity can be ensured for the citizens. References American folklore. Retrieved from http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/europeanamerican-folklore/ Bernard. (1991). High expectations. http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at6lk11.htm Diversity Resources. NEA. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/12969.htm Figures and Legends in American Folklore. Infoplease. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0194035.html Green, T. A. (2008). Native American Folktales. Greenwood Publishing Group. Hershfeldt, P. A., Sechrest, R., Pell, K.L., Rosenberg, M. S., Bradshaw, C. P. & Leaf, P. J. (2010). Double-Check: A framework of cultural responsiveness applied to classroom behaviour. TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 6 (2 ). LaRocquea, MM., Kleimanb, I and Darlinga, S. M. (2011). Parental Involvement: The Missing Link in School Achievement. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth. 55 (3): 115-122. Teaching Tolerance. (2013). Perspectives for a Diverse America. Retrieved from http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-43-spring-2013/perspectives Rees, D. (2007). Proceed with Caution: Using Native American Folktales in the Classroom. Language Arts. 84 (3): 245-256. Saint Leo University. Official website. Retrieved from http://www.saintleo.edu/about/florida-catholic-university.aspx Read More