CULTURE

CULTURE

CULTURE

MULTICULTURALISM

CUSTOMS

CULTURE CENTERS

DIVERSITY CALENDARS

CULTURE LINKS

BACK TO TOP

SECTION 1

CULTURE

CULTURE:

A set of distinctive spiritual, material,
intellectual and emotional features of
society or a social group, and that it
encompasses, in addition to art and
literature, lifestyles, ways of living
together, value systems, traditions
and beliefs.

The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere,
with its root meaning "to cultivate", generally
refers to patterns of human activity and the
symbolic structures that give such activity
significance.

Different definitions of "culture" reflect
different theoretical bases for understanding,
or criteria for evaluating, human activity.

Anthropologists most commonly use the term
"culture" to refer to the universal human
capacity to classify, codify and communicate
their experiences symbolically.

Defining culture:

Different definitions of culture reflect
different theories for understanding
or criteria for evaluating human activity.

A common way of understanding culture
sees it as consisting of three elements:

1. values

2. Norms

3. Artifacts.

BACK TO TOP

SECTION 2

MULTICULTURALISM

Multiculturalism is the public policy for
managing cultural diversity in a multiethnic
society, officially stressing mutual respect
and tolerance for cultural differences within
a country's borders.

As a policy, multiculturalism emphasizes the
unique characteristics of different cultures,
especially as they relate to one another in
receiving nations. The word was first used in
1957 to describe Switzerland, but came into
common currency in Canada in the late 1960s.
It quickly spread to other English-speaking
countries.

Multiculturalism...is a theory (albeit vague)
about the foundations of a culture rather than
a practice which subsumes cultural ideas.
(Harrison, 1984)

Looked at broadly, the term is often used to
describe societies (especially nations) which
have many distinct cultural groups, usually as
a result of immigration. This can lead to anxiety
about the stability of national identity, yet can
also lead to cultural exchanges that benefit the
cultural groups. Such exchanges range from major
accomplishments in literature, art and philosophy
to relatively token appreciation of variations in
music, dress and new foods.

BACK TO TOP

SECTION 3

CUSTOMS

In sociology, a norm, or social norm,
is a rule that is socially enforced.

Social sanctioning is what distinguishes
norms from other cultural products or social
constructions such as meaning and values.

Norms and normlessness are thought to affect
a wide variety of human behavior.

Traditional norms such as the Golden rule have
been followed by many people over a long period
of time. Therefore norms are closely related to
customs.

On the other hand, a norm may arise as a formal
description of an implicitly followed custom.

In social situations, such as meetings, norms are
unwritten and often unspoken rules that govern
individuals' behavior. Norms are most evident when
they are not followed or are broken.

This is often experienced when an individual finds
him/herself in a foreign environment dealing with
an unfamiliar culture where the norms are different.

BACK TO TOP

SECTION 4

CULTURAL
CENTERS

A cultural center or cultural centre is
an organization, building or complex
that promotes culture and arts.

Cultural centers can be:

neighborhood community
arts organizations,

private facilities,

government-sponsored,

activist-run.

CULTURAL CENTER
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_center

BACK TO TOP

SECTION 5

DIVERSITY
CALENDAR

The Diversity Calendar™ is essential to:

•create awareness of worldwide holidays and public events

•build a respectful, inclusive workplace

•increase the effectiveness of a diverse workforce

•create efficient workforce scheduling and avoid embarrassing
scheduling conflicts

•contribute to more engaging training — online, interactive,
audio, video

Diversity Calendar
http://www.diversityresources.com/multicultural-calendar.html

BACK TO TOP

SECTION 6

CULTURE
LINKS

Composition Culture
http://compositionculture.wordpress.com/resources-for-teachers/

Culture
http://www.theguardian.com/us/culture

Culture in the Classroom
http://www.tolerance.org/supplement/culture-classroom

Culturally Responsive Teaching
http://www.lab.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles-prt.shtml

Culturally Responsive Teaching Resources
http://www.culturallyresponsiveteachingresources.org/

Diverse School
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36327-2004Aug3.html

Diversity Calendar
http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/

Diversity Resources
http://www.nea.org/home/12969.htm

Diversity Resources for Teachers
http://www.teachervision.com/diversity/teacher-resources/33631.html

Diversity Web
http://www.diversityweb.org/

Educating Teachers for Diversity
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/presrvce/pe300.htm

Equity and Diversity Resources
http://www.enc.org/topics/equity/?ls=sn

Free Diversity Calendar
http://startravelinternational.com/free/free-diversity-calendar-2014.html/page/313

Holidays Around the World Lesson Plans
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson213.shtml

How to Support Diversity in the Classroom
https://teachercertification.com/multicultural-education-diversity-in-classroom-for-teachers/#0671

The Importance of Differentiated Instruction in Education
https://teachercertification.com/differentiated-instruction-student-success/#0671

BACK TO TOP

Materials for Exploring American Culture
http://americanenglish.state.gov/materials-exploring-american-culture

Multicultural Calendar
http://www.usamulticulturalcalendar.com/

Multicultural Celebrations
http://kidworldcitizen.org/diversity-calendar/

Multicultural Education and Ethnic Groups
http://www.library.csustan.edu/lboyer/multicultural/main.htm

The National Diversity Council
http://www.nationaldiversitycouncil.org/

Office of Diversity and Inclusion
http://www.diversity.va.gov/calendar/default.aspx

Resources for Teachers What is Culture?
http://www.carla.umn.edu/culture/resources/index.html

Tapestry for Teachers of English Language Learners
http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/cat_tapestry.asp?CID=1585&DID=8732

Teaching Culture
http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/culture/cuindex.htm

Teaching English Language Learners
http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/summer08/goldenberg.pdf

Tolerance.org's Resources for Teachers, Administrators, and Counselors
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/index.jsp

What is Culture?
http://www.livescience.com/21478-what-is-culture-definition-of-culture.html

What is Culture?
http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm

What Is Culture?
http://humanresources.about.com/od/organizationalculture/g/what-is-culture.htm

BACK TO TOP

AFRICAN-INDEX HOME PAGE

CULTURE-INDEX

HOME

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

LATINO HOME PAGE

MICROENTERPRISE

NATIVE AMERICAN HOME PAGE

RACE RELATIONS

SICKLE CELL

SOCIAL SKILLS

WOMEN HEALTH

WOMEN-INDEX HOME PAGE

E-MAIL

BACK TO TOP