An aspect of my identity that I
feel has shaped me as a person is my experience and education within a Catholic
school for twelve years of my life. One definition of culture is a mindset or
common behaviors shared amongst a group of individuals; through the institution
of a public school, students “learn and share group-related perceptions.”
(Martin and Nakayama, 2013, pg 91). With
this in mind, I sought to see what similarities and differences a public school
offered those around me. Although I knew a fair amount through those around me
and how popular culture portrays public schools, there were still facets of it
that were unknown to me. As a future
educator, I felt drawn to study the public school and its impact on students.
After beginning my field notes and
research, I decided to look at the school as a cultural space. A cultural space is defined as, “the social
and cultural contexts in which our identity forms- where we grow up and where
we live,” (Martin and Nakayama, 2013, pg 274). Through a cultural space, people
form interactions and relationships within the physical space of the
school. This can be done many ways, from
the school colors and rivalries, to comradely interactions in the
hallways. Even certain groups can form
sub-cultures within the school, like the jocks or the science teachers. The public school is a complex weaving of
communications and sharing of ideas that perpetuates a cultural space those who
inhabit within.
For my research, I collected my
findings from a variety of sources. I interviewed two people, a student who a
year younger than me and a woman who works for a Community Learning Center
program within a middle school. I collected field notes at Dawes Middle School.
I attended a showcase event at Dawes Middle School on February 21. Finally, I
sent out two internet-based surveys. One
survey, which yielded 37 responses, asked the following questions:
1)
What school district did you attend?
2)
How many were in your graduating class?
3)
Rank in order the importance you feel your school placed on the
following items: academics, sports, fine/performing arts, technology in the
classroom, standardized testing, and faith/religion.
4)
How well do you feel your high school prepared you for college classes?
5)
Describe your high school experience as far as difficulty of classes,
involvement of extracurricular activities, and the amount of freedom/restraint
you had while at school.
The other survey, which
yielded twelve responses, asked:
1)
Did your public school feel like a community?
Why or why not?
2) What
activities/concepts did your school have to encourage community?
3) Did certain school teams or school clubs have
their own sense of community within the school?
With these methods, I compiled
themes that encompass the idea of the public school as a cultural space.
The first
theme that I found was the theme of the school and its members being “like a
family.” This means that the students go through sorrows and joy together. They
bond over shared classes, communal experiences, and just connect as they spend
about 1,440 hours each year together. Within my “COMM211X Survey,” created on
March 3, 2014, one person commented that, “The teachers and faculty care a lot
about the school,” (“COMM211X Survey,” 2014). This shows a family atmosphere.
On another survey, “Comm211X School as a Cultural Space,” created on April 7, one
student commented “… we had been going to school with those people for most of
our lives,” and another “… it was a big school, but we were all still united as
one,” (“Comm211X School as a Cultural Space,” 2014.) Of the twelve people
surveyed, ten said the school was a community and talked about the united
atmosphere, sometimes despite the large size of the school. The concept of a
family atmosphere in the school is further supported by my interview with Karen-Bell
Dancy on April 14, 2014. She commented, “The neighborhood that surrounds Dawes
is an older community… The pride is really big there for families that have
been here… In Dawes we foster that; we help build pride,” (Karen Bell-Dancy,
personal communication, April 14, 2014). This quote exemplifies the familial
school community as a culture that mimics the neighborhood. It is clear that
the school is “like a family” for its students and staff.
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sub-cultures exist within a school through clubs and sports Picture from 13stripescrossfit.com |
My second
theme consists of the idea that there are sub-cultures that develop within the
school. Specifically, sports teams, clubs, and fine arts organizations all have
distinct traditions, rituals, and perceptions within the larger school culture.
In one of my surveys, 43.24% of those surveyed said sports were the most
important thing at their school, even over academics, (“COMM211X Cultural
Report,” 2014). This clearly indicates the sub-culture of athletic teams
permeated the school in many places. All
twelve who took the other survey said certain clubs or sports teams had their
own sense of community. Specifically, one person said, “show choir and drama
club had their own community that rarely hung out with other people outside of
the community,” while another commented, “All of the sports teams seemed to be
tight and have their own community,” (“Comm211X School as a Cultural Space,”
2014.) In an
interview with Adam Weise, he spoke about the closeness he felt with his hockey
team. “We played games together, did community service, and had a lot of
banquets… The hockey team is pretty much my best friends now and in high
school,” (Adam Weise, personal communication, April 15, 2014). When I attended
the showcase event, the
Students in S.T.E.M Academy at Dawes Middle School |
This
process of looking into the public school proved to be extremely beneficial. I
realized students are shaped by the school culture as well as the sub-cultures
and activities they participate in. Further, I took away from this project that
the school is a context that should be considered when looking at ones identity
because it influences friends, relationships, aspirations, and many more
aspects of a young person’s life. Through
my research, I also discovered that other-knowledge, knowledge about how others
perceive things and act, is essential for a united school, (Martin and
Nakayama, 2014). Students who did not think their school was like a community
said it was clique-y, showing it lacked something that allowed students to
communicate between sub-cultures. Both of these takeaways are excellent as I
consider my future as an educator.
References
Adam Weise, Student, Interview
15 April 2014.
“COMM211X Cultural Report.” Survey Monkey survey. 3 March
2014.
“COMM211X School as a Cultural Space.” Survey Monkey Survey
7 April 2014.
“Field Notes” taken from showcase event on 21 February 2014
and throughout March at Dawes Middle School.
Karen Bell-Dancy, Community Learning
Center Coordinator, Interview 11
April 2014.
Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K.
(2013). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw
Hill.
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