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Name

Professor

Course

Date

Cultural resonance

Introduction

Definition of cultural dissonance

A culture is a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an

institution, organization or group. The simple explanation is-the way we do things around here.

This means that anyone who does not agree with the proposed or existing culture will find a

sense of discomfort, discord or disharmony from the inconsistencies. This makes it difficult for

the individuals to negotiate, which causes cultural dissonance. When one notices the cultural

dissonance then attempts to resolve it can start though they are stressful (Cichetti, Cohen, 2006,

pg.56). Cultural dissonance may provoke the tendency either to resort to ethnocentrism or to

abandon inherent cultural values and adopt the new culture in order to fit in and achieve success

especially in a school setting. Since humans are constantly evolving, culture in all disguises

requires continual study and observation because every time civilization advances so does the

culture. The student that adopt the school culture may have erroneous interpretations of parent

behaviors creating misunderstandings between home and school.

Detailed description of the nature of the cultural dissonance experienced.

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This happened to me as I attended my new school from a different background with

different culture and values. The school I attended embedded their culture such as the traditional

long held views and values that they set their school rules on. I was among the few students from

a different ethnicity and race. The school marginalized, excluded and discriminated the ethnic

and racial minority students. I did not receive the same kind of treatment from the teachers and

neither from my fellow students except those that we from the minority group (Simona,

Vasilache, 2013, pg.102).

The policies that the institution developed had good intentions but they did not know that

the policies had values deeply grounded in their culture (Wolloch, 2016, pg.155). They held the

values in high esteem, deeply ingrained and they shaped their behavior patterns that do not

appreciate any other culture but oppress others of different ethnicity. My teachers always viewed

me as academically incapable even before testing my intelligence simply because I did not do

thing the same way they did. The racial, ethnic, cultural and linguistic differences caused many

of us the right to participate in class even worse share same classes with the other students. The

teachers’ deeply rooted biasness impeded my success as a learner because I did not come from

the dominant culture (Cichetti, Cohen, 2006, pg.56). I could choose the classes to attend and skip

the others. The teachers never cared to find out why I did not attend their classes and termed it as

indiscipline. I always wished that they appreciated the culture I came from so that I could fit in

and the other students would ease their attitude that was an influence from the teachers.

The teacher openly talked negatively about other cultures and ethnicity including mine,

which caused discomfort. Due to this, my performance deteriorated and the teachers identified

me among the learning disabled so they took me into special education programs. This

discouraged me so much that I wished that I were in my native home since I had friends from
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childhood who understood me and did not view me as a different. I remember when I was in my

native home, I did well in class and was the favorite for all teachers but in the new school,

everything was different and I was too small to make a difference of how they treated me. I told

my parents but they said that it takes time and sooner I would fit in. Did they know that I was in

a separate educational environment with my peers? That was not the case because I developed a

negative attitude towards the school. However, in the special program, I vowed to do well so that

I prove them wrong on their biasness and view of their belief that racially and ethnically different

students are learning-disabled (Clauss-Ehlers, 2010, pg.279). In addition, the teachers in the

special program made a point to learn about every students’ home culture so that they can

identify with them and help them fit in and learn to full potential.

What made me wonder was that the students in need of special education were the

mentally retarded or intellectually disabled and emotionally disturbed but some of us in that class

were very okay. One thing to note was that, the basis of the diagnosis was upon objective and

biological criteria and not subjective clinical judgment (Chanlat, Davel, Dupuis, 2013, pg.91).

The permission of teachers to determine what normal behavior is, mostly bases upon belief and

their own values of the dominant culture without any considerations of the home culture of the

students. Thus, stigmatization of the student because of the label that they are abnormal,

separating them from the population of their peers making them get different treatment. We

noted that the number of students in the special program was disproportionate across the racial

groups and hence racial segregation. Did this mean that only the racially and ethnically different

students were the ones with learning disabilities? The answer is no but the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) increased funding for public schools with

students with special needs. They put us in emotional turmoil for their own good. This teachers
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or the whole management was unfair and unethical by making students develop self-esteem

issues and others entertaining suicidal thought just for their good (Cichetti, Cohen, 2006, pg.56).

They are irrational and mean to the racially different student instead of making us feel that we

belong they rather make our life a living hell in the schools while we are adjusting in the new

environment.

I thank God for the culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) that came at the right timing to

help the teachers rectify cultural misunderstandings, thus empowering teachers to look at the

systemic constructs in order to challenge their biases. The CRP looked into academic success of

the students, development of the cultural competence and critical consciousness that challenges

the status quo. This helped the educators to investigate the school curriculum and reflect on

biases to oppose the culture dominance in order to meet the needs of the students from

marginalized cultures. Before this reforms, most of the marginalized students joined gangs to

belong and feel accepted in some culture (Clauss-Ehlers, 2010, pg.279). I felt for those students

since they could not come out of the gangs yet they were potentially capable students. Their

parents lost them and neither rehabilitation nor therapy would help many of them especially the

African-American. Some of us retreated into a sports game where all they looked at was how

well you applied your skills in the game and not exclusively on the race. At least I found my

solace in lone tennis, which builds self-affirmation (Simona, Vasilache, 2013, pg.102).

Overcoming the dissonance experienced

Apart from the CRP, the schools makes a point to bridge the gap by introduction of

courses to study culture, which are mandatory. They discuss on cultural patterns of local cultures

and trips are available to restaurants with a wide range of foods of different cultures. There are

representatives of community and folk and cultural museums to experience the different cultures.
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Since then I learned that food, music, educational exploration is a great way of introducing

people to different cultures. Sure enough, it bridged the gap of understanding between cultures

(Chanlat, Davel, Dupuis, 2013, pg.91).

Lessons taken from the experience

I learnt so much from that experience than even classroom matters. It is true that for one

to drop their culture and attempt people’s culture is difficult. Most times the dominant culture

sets the rules and the pace in ever group or institution. People lack appropriate knowledge and

skills when interacting with members of a different culture (Clauss-Ehlers, 2010, pg.279). The

young people in school learn to embrace the western culture but the values maybe unethical to

their own cultural heritage. The cultural dissonance takes a wide scope of social and cultural

analysis that inquire into economics, values, learning styles, politics, cultural heritage,

educational formats and socio-cultural issues like ethnocentrism, racism and historical legacies.

Cultural dissonance on daily basis include ethical, spiritual, level of identity such as fashion,

entertainment and speech (Wolloch, 2016, pg.155).

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References

Chanlat J-F., Davel E., Dupuis J-P. (2013). Cross-Cultural Management: Culture and

Management across the World. Routledge.

Clauss-Ehlers C. S. (2010). Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural School Psychology. Springer

Science & Business Media.

Simona, Vasilache. (2013). Cross-Cultural Training and Teamwork in Healthcare. IGI Global.

Kapoor D. (2011). CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON NEOLIBERAL GLOBOLIZATION,

DEVEOPMENT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA AND ASIA. Springer Science & Business

media.

Cichetti D., Cohen J. D. (2006). Developmental Psychopathology, Theory and Method. John

Wiley & Sons.

Wolloch N. (2016). History and Nature in the Enlightenment: Praise of the Mastery of Nature in

Eighteenth-Century Historical Literature. Routledge.