A Critical Conversation: Remembering Culture in the Teaching of the Whole Child

The author addresses the relationship between culture, schooling, and education of the whole child. She uses historical scholarship from the field of anthropology to unpack the significance oj having those involved with the day-to-day operations of schools and classrooms critically examine their culture, the culture of the organization in which they work, and the institutional culture of the profession in the education of the whole child in the twenty-first century. "Culture, then, consists of standards for deciding what is, standards for deciding what can be, standards for deciding how one feels about it and standards for deciding how to go about doing it. "(Goodenough, 1981)To address educating the whole child, it is essential to discuss the role that culture plays in that process. The culture of the child is where some would start; however, the culture of the systems children inherit and are asked to learn within matter as much, if not more. To attempt this discussion otherwise would be akin to talking about an egg yolk in the absence of talking about the egg itself: it is simply incomplete. A review of historical scholarship from the fields of anthropology and education offers a clear and guiding light into why those responsible for leading classrooms and schools must come back to culture and examine the'what and'how' of beliefs and practices if the goal is truly to reach the whole child.What is Culture? Nearly 35 years ago, in the now classic book, Culture, Language and Society (1981), anthropologist Ward Goodenough explored the systems that facilitate each. From his perspective, culture is fluid and is a product of one's experiences. Culture is not something that rests outside of a person-an "out there" phenomenon-but rather is internal. It operates at the core of "recipes, routines, values, and beliefs" (Goodenough, p. 90) of an individual. According to the Goodenough model of culture, all objects, practices, persons, and events in an individual's conceptual framework have some kind of symbolic meaning. Individuals do not arbitrarily assign positive or negative feelings to objects or occurrences; such feelings are learned. As such, culture is a product of human learning.When one explores the intersection of culture and schools from the Goodenough (1981) model, some questions naturally evolve:? What are the "recipes, routines, values, and beliefs" of schools? What symbolic meanings have been attached to the practices and persons of schools? Are the beliefs that are printed in the school's vision or mission statement on the wall of the reception area alive and breathing daily in the hallways, classrooms, and cafeteria of the school? Do the daily interactions between leaders, learners, families, teachers, custodians, and so forth mirror those stated beliefs? These questions are intentionally thought-provoking and the answers that surface in a school speak volumes about whether the whole child is at the center of the beliefs and practices of a school's personnel.Beliefs in ActionActions are the manifestation of beliefs. To understand the practices of an individual or a group of individuals is to understand first what it is he, she, or they believe. The curricula (written and unwritten) and the activities designed to support the curricula all speak to the belief systems of administrators, faculty, and staff. For example, teachers who pride one philosophical orientation to learning and teach primarily toward that orientation (regardless of various learning preferences of the students) put forth the belief that there is a'right" way of learning. From the Goodenough (1981) model, the standards for what is, what can be, and how it should be done (or culture) of this school have clearly been established. Flowever, is it a culture for supporting the whole child? Values and symbols are transmitted in schools daily through practices and protocols. …