Complexities and Paradoxes of Community by Carolyn M Shields - Article Example

According to the authors, one cannot be blind to the diverse richness of the school community in favor of a label like 'Navajo' or 'Native American' by assuming a hegemony among culture, assumptions, beliefs, and values. They maintain that the educators should take seriously the charge to explore the concept of community as a moral endeavor which is based on the dialogical processes which can help in identifying the underlying differences and similarities of belief, the moral nature, etc. Therefore, the authors indicate the notion of unity within diversity among various cultures.

In the beginning section of the article, the authors point out the fundamental conflict between valuing education and the cultural emphasis on affirming the autonomy of the student. According to the authors, it is a challenging task to find ways to build on community cultural norms and practices and to implement a viable learning environment in the schools. As the authors maintain, the students of different communities also exhibit significant conflicts in goals and attitudes. To the people of Navajo culture, long-term planning and goal-setting are bad luck which cannot be discussed in class.

It is essential to take steps to incorporate various cultures in the development of schools as a learning community. Thus, Red Rock Elementary School and Canyon Collegiate have emphasized the incorporation of various aspects of the Navajo culture into their curriculum and it is no easy task to introduce a culturally responsive and relevant curriculum. The various cultural issues of the students also pose problems to the school administrators and the various examples from the Navajo community illustrate this fact.

These interesting instances from the Navajo community include a student's absence from the class because he was 'witched by a werewolf' and a teacher's leave from school due to the week-long ceremonies of a squaw dance for her father. Similarly, failure in a match would be considered as the curse of natural and external forces, rather than the responsibility of the players or the coaches. According to the authors of the article, the notion of values is a central component of the conflicts and paradoxes concerning language, community goals and attitudes, and cultural practices.

Clarifying values is a central function of every aspect of community life and the conflicting values from the community can cause specific challenges for teachers.