Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.0.Beta5/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id PAA20713; Sun, 8 Nov 1998 15:41:16 -0500 (EST) Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 15:41:16 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <s645bb5e.081@jsi.com> Errors-To: lmann@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Andrea Nash" <andy_nash@jsi.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:2490] Re: : effective teacher - cultural -Reply X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 5.2 > Chris wrote: > . . when a foreigner chooses to live in a country like the US, he > should be prepared to bevave appropriately. As it would be wrong of > a westerner to bring pork, oe prostitutes into an Islamic country, > it too is wrong to expect to be able to bring sexist or racits, or > "homophobic" behavior to the US. > After they graduate, the desired behavior is that your students will be > able to get jobs and become part of British society. > The United States is not culturally diverse. We have a tolerant society... Chris, The isms and phobias that you bemoan are deeply ingrained in THIS culture. Gay bashing, domestic and racial violence, in blatant and subtle forms, exist HERE and are clearly accepted by a large minority of our own citizens. And often they are justified by arguments like yours - that people need to *fit in* (e.g. not stir up things by bringing their gay partners to company functions, etc.). Your portrait of our culture as *tolerant* and vulnerable to corruption by immoral foreigners I find xenophobic and not particularly helpful for understanding the complexity of the issues. There is a difference between discussing and comparing cultures so that newcomers can make informed choices about how they want to negotiate their new environs, and imposing a set of norms that you declare appropriate or expedient. You and I are from the same country, but we probably have different views on what this *appropriate* behavior is. Rather than judging cultural practices, I hope that educators create a place for examining their meanings and respectfully discussing which ones we each embrace and why. Andy Nash New England Literacy Resource Center
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