Activity: How would you describe your own culture and cultural background?
Culture represents the ways of living that are built up by groups and transmitted from one generation to another.
Sometimes it is difficult to reflect on our own culture and cultural norms because they are invisible to us. For example, most people (who share my cultural background) would know not to bring a bottle of champagne along to a funeral. But how do we know this?
One way to think about your culture is to think about how you spend your ‘Friday nights, your Saturdays and Sundays’.[1] What does it tell you about you and your culture? Compare your answer with your peers.
Also, see the Cultural Competence for Staff resources on Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning online platform.
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Culture represents the ways of living that are built up by groups and transmitted from one generation to another.
Sometimes it is difficult to reflect on our own culture and cultural norms because they are invisible to us. For example, most people (who share my cultural background) would know not to bring a bottle of champagne along to a funeral. But how do we know this?
One way to think about your culture is to think about how you spend your ‘Friday nights, your Saturdays and Sundays’.[1] What does it tell you about you and your culture? Compare your answer with your peers.
Also, see the Cultural Competence for Staff resources on Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning online platform.
You may also like to visit the Resources section of the Share Our Pride website to read about the First Australians and Our Culture.
Culture and educational practice
The following resources will help you to consider ideas of culture and educational practice, so that you can discuss tensions in a respectful way.
Read ‘A Conversation about Building Awareness’
http://whatworks.edu.au/upload/1251372992836_file_Conversation.pdf
Read ‘Should you treat Indigenous students as individuals or as part of a culturally defined group?’
http://whatworks.edu.au/dbAction.do?cmd=displaySitePage1&subcmd=select&id=368
Additional resource relating to the Canadian context, ‘Aboriginal Identity and the classroom’
http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/aboriginal_identity__the_classroom/
Related content
Culture
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a long and proud history that includes rich cultural and spiritual traditions.Read More
[1] Suggested by Michael Colbung, University of Adelaide