Ch. 6 Family, Culture, & Community "Peace cannot exist without justice, justice cannot exist without fairness, fairness cannot exist without development, development cannot exist without democracy, democracy cannot exist without respect for the identity and worth of cultures and peoples." --Rigoberta Menchú Tum (Guatemalan Indigenous Rights Activist, 1990 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize Winner; b. 1952)

Communities, Cultures, & Families Your work with children takes place in a specific community, located in a specific geographic region. The programs we create and the curriculum we design must reflect the families, cultures, and communities we serve. Communities are DYNAMIC! Get to know your community you are working at (places, the people, the events, the history, etc.) The culture of the staff and the culture of the families contribute to the context in which you can teach. The most important way of finding out about the cultures represented by the children and families in your program is to talk with parents. Involve parents in your classroom. This will help you recognize and respect children and their family’s cultural beliefs and rules for behavior. It is important to realize that your own definition of family relates to your culture, economic class, and life experience. Families are all different and we will define it as a group of people with a long-term commitment to one another who share living space and the tasks involved in maintaining the group.

Families Transmit Culture Families pass their culture on to their children by socializing their children to become members and participate in a particular culture. Although the family lives in the U.S., it may functions in a subculture based on ethnicity, economic class, religion, or sexual orientation. Cultural values change over time. A family's cultural values may change from generation to the next depending on how long the family has loved in the U.S. Families differ in their desire to become like the traditional American family.

Early Childhood Programs as Extended Family We cannot separate the child from the family Teachers in high-quality programs realize that they must seek to foster the child’s developmental education while at the same time supporting parents in creating a healthy, satisfying family life. Early childhood programs become part of the extended family network by accepting all types of families, establishing respectful parent-teacher relationships, including parents in all aspects of the program and engaging in problem-solving to manage cultural clashes. ECE programs are like extended families and they share in the responsibility for encouraging both cultural identity and acceptance of human diversity. Individualizing curriculum and the importance of matching activities and experiences to the needs, interests and the abilities of each child.

Get to Know your Families It is very important that the staff make parents feel welcome and accepted. Inform parents of the center’s commitment by stating the center’s culturally relevant and anti-bias program. Enrollment forms can be used to collect information about a family’s cultural ad its influence on parenting and family life. Some people may feel that asking questions is invading the privacy of others BUT the delivery of the questions makes a huge difference. HOME VISITS ONGOING COMMUNTICATION

Holidays & Celebrations Many holidays and celebrations have cultural or religious roots They express the values, beliefs, and practices of a particular group of people Celebrating cultural holidays helps strengthen cultural connections and family ties. Families should play an integral role in setting holiday policy for your centers Encourage families to share information about their holidays and how they celebrate Ask for ideas about what activities would be appropriate to provide for children Welcome family members who would like to come in and lead an activity Request materials that can use as sources for classroom activities such as recipes, music tapes, or written words to special holiday songs. Invite families to loan materials to the program for sharing during circle time Communicate to families ahead of time about what you are planning to do in the classroom because some families might not observe holidays. We must be sensitive to their values

Parent Support and Education Create a community resource file and connect families to resources and services in the community. Programs can also offer a parent support group to help parents explore their own cultural identity and attitudes toward human diversity Offer workshops that help parents raise children in a diverse society

Managing Cultural Conflicts Cultural clashes occur in early childhood programs and not all can be solved but a problem-solving approach to manage the situation can be achieved. Analyze the situation and identify way sin which you may be involved in a cultural dilemma Don’t blame the child Get information Realize that the child is coping in the best way s/he knows Respond toithe child and parent as individuals