Sunday, April 20, 2014

Cultural Report Summary Blog-Sarah Nelson

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. 
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
students did a skit with “stereotypes” of the different Academies. Arts Academy was portrayed as creative and weird, S.T.E.M. Academy was portrayed as smart and nerdy, and Sports and Rec Academy was depicted as the typical jocks, (“Field Notes,” 2014). All these ideas further the idea that there are sub-cultures within the school with their own identities.

            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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