Culture, Identity, and Education - Annotated Bibliography Example

Nagel, J. (Feb, 1994). “Constructing Ethnicity: Creating and Recreating Ethnic Identity and Culture.” USA: University of California Press Vol. 41(1) pp 152-176 This journal by Nagel is precise on the role cultural identity plays in creating modern ethnicity. Not all ethnicity has negative connotation but has been seen to be important in creating national unity. Culture and identity of people are the subsets of ethnicity and the two gives impetus to cooperation of people adhering to the same lines of thoughts. The paper as well proposes how ethnicity is created and reformed, and examines culture and identity as the main building blocks of ethnicity and the emphasis is on modern ethnicity. Nagel however views ethnicity as being put in boundaries where invisible line segregates one group of people from another and the way people differ in ideological view points. Ethnicity results to self identification and comes as a result of dialectical process which involves both the internal and external experiences. The internal are the intrinsic view points while the external ones are the influences of the environment Culture and Identity The two are the building blocks of ethnicity or identification of persons by certain beliefs, practices and certain orientations. The beliefs and practices seek to address the challenges being faced by the adherents and gives elaborate explanations to the ethnic boundaries. Culture results as a construction of ideals in which the people who follow them try to get meaning out of the practices and beliefs. A religious adherence result from the cultural orientation and it is there that the people find common ground in which to hold on. A constructionist view trying to explain the existence of culture and identity states that the background, content and ethnic beliefs among some people reflect the choices of the individuals in their efforts to define themselves in an ethnic way (Nagel Feb, 1994) Culture and identity can be said to result from differing and competing view points amongst people (Nagel Feb, 1994). Not a single person thinks the same way as the other and this result to competition of ideologies. However, people try to do their best to find common grounds if they have commonalities in the view points, however small the similarities may be. The common beliefs thus results to some identities where the people try to increase their knowledge on the subject or the belief. For example, world religions came as a result of people’s mind having similar directions making the people roll up their heads to profess the faith taught by their knowledge. Scientists, psychologists and philosophers have some line of orientations and each of the group try to improve the works of their colleagues or criticize it according to own findings (Nagel Feb, 1994). Willinsky, J. (1998). Learning to Divide the World: Education at Empire’s End. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press This book defines education in terms of language and how it is used to explore one’s surrounding. Willinsky tries to define education in the reality of imperialism, the positive and negative effects of this kind of education. He sees education as intrinsic as it starts with the ‘will to know’ before an individual tries to explain the knowledge. The colonial type of education system is seen to be favored by the people who studied under the system like icon Nelson Mandela while the newer people sees it as repressive and thought to be aimed at neo-colonialism. Willinsky focuses on the imperative of education, the mission, comparison to the colonial form of education and how the colonial education has led to civilization and modernity of knowledge acquisition. Learning according to him is seen as an adventure which starts with the individual deciding to know and explore. Various conquerors in education are seen as classic examples of how education can be molded to suit certain ideas and explanation of nature. Imperative education Education is traced from the intellectual interests of imperialism where individuals gain some needs to know or what is referred to as “will to know” (Willinsky 1998). For example, the greed to understand some mathematical understanding led to emergence of modern mathematics; and physics, astronomy and geography subjects came into being when some individuals sought to explain concepts as they existed. This paid back with more interests to put it down as real and conceptualization of how the world exists; thanks to the great eagerness and greed of some people. Educators in the education process are encouraged by the aspect of imperialism which tends to move away from the colonial teachings and system of education (Willinsky 1998). It has helped dismantle the old system and replaced it with one which allows the educated think out of the box rather confine it with some sorts of thinking. Though some icons like Nelson Mandela praise the colonial system of education and term it as the best to live up with as it helped the natives emerge from their dark points to civilization though with the exchange of their land. This presents education as transitional from the medieval to the modernity; for example, in early Greek, philosophers like Aristotle, Socrates and Plato were able to teach on education and how best to go about it, to the modern world which focuses on solving the problems emanating from the past woes. Educational levels vary from one society to another and each society has the education system which tries to solve the problems facing its people. For example, the education system in poor nations in Africa and other third world continents focus on uplifting the livelihoods of their people. On the other hand, developed nations have education systems which try to advance the existing philosophies and which can enhance modernity. Literacy levels define whether a country or a society is developed or not as the more the people are literate, the more the nation is viewed as developed and the more the illiteracy levels; the less the nation is developed. Kim, L. (2003). “Explaining the Relationship between Language, Culture and Identity.” GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, Vol. 3(2) The journal explains education as language and starts when one seeks to expound knowledge beyond the view point. There is interrelationship between three main components of ethnicity; Culture, Identity and Language but language is seen to surpass all the other two components. Language is seen as some systematic codes and symbols; and how they are used to explain the environment of an individual. Culture on the other hand is explained as customs, traditions, values, practices and symbols. Identity is recognition of a person according to some culture, practices, behaviour and language. According to him, this definition suits culture and thus it is seen as identity emanating from culture. Since language is symbols and codes, culture is codes, symbols and traditions, language thus defines culture, and culture defines identity of persons. The three according to Kim are interrelated and none can stand on itself without referring to the other. Culture cannot exist without language and language cannot exist without culture while identity is a subset of culture. Education, Culture and Identity Culture is the beliefs, values, norms and practices by some people who claim to have some certain origin. Cultural orientation stems from individuals before the culture is transmitted to other people before it becomes a cultural group. It occurs when there is correlation between the various beliefs and practices in the people. Identity on the other hand comes when there is a strong cultural orientation, and thus it can be said that culture supersedes identity. A person is identified from the way he carries himself in the presence of others or what he or she claims to hold. Culture is a combination of various beliefs and practices and thus religion can be said to be extreme culture; for example, a culture of the Islamic religion or Christianity. This kind of culture helps particular people to be identified by these beliefs; for example, a catholic, or a Presbyterian faithful. On the other hand, education is extreme language and so how a language is held by particular group of people defines the kind of education in those people. Language is a practice and therefore, culture can be defined in terms of language. Therefore, education too can define culture when that relationship of language, practice and culture is to be held as true. The relationship of language/education, culture and identify is one intriguing and interesting one and research has shown how language impacts one’s identity (Kim 2003). According to Kim (2003), culture would be inexistent without language and the two are so related that one cannot define one without referring to the other. Language is a sub-set of culture even though one cannot explicitly define culture without the mention of language. While culture is a set of beliefs, values, systems, codes, traditions and customs, language is that system of communication comprising of some codes and follows certain symbols for humans to store, retrieve, organize, structure and expound their knowledge and experiences (Kim 2003). It is never static and it is the primary tools in expression, transmission and adaptation of culture. It is thus paramount that culture was introduced in the schools as it helps boost the students’ self-concept and has helped reinforce their cultural identity. Read More