About Cultural Conflicts

Conflicts between Cultural Views and Values

Conflicts between distinct cultural views and values are referred to as cultural conflicts. One of the strongest curriculum forces in American classrooms is conflict resolution. Effective conflict resolution programs, according to research, alter the school atmosphere to make it more student-friendly (Banks, 2015).

Teaching Methods for Cultural Conflict Resolution

Pupils are taught methods of detecting the differences as well as similarities between their cultural practices and those of other students in conflict with them when settling cultural conflicts inside U.S. K-12 schools. This aids the students in recognizing the contrasts that exist while attempting to balance the interests of all parties. Additionally, the teacher can help in solving cultural conflicts by assisting the students to define the cultural problem to be solved and the issue that contributes to the problem (Delpit, 2006). Understanding the interests of other students and the available alternatives to negotiations are among the major components of resolving cultural conflicts within the U.S. K-12 students.

Recognizing Opposing and Shared Interests

Another way of solving cultural conflicts is teaching students ways of recognizing opposing and shared interests as well as identifying the different priorities across various issues. By doing so, the students will be able to deal with issues of different priorities (Brinson, Kottler & Fisher, 2004). When students understand this process, they will be in a position to settle on agreements that are better for everyone as compared to their options.

Diversity Training Programs

Moreover, teachers can introduce diversity training programs with aims of educating students about different cultural customs. Students can attend different cultural celebrations at the local community centers which will empower them to be more confident when interacting with students from other cultures (Delpit, 2006). The whole process will ensure that students do not feel culturally alienated in school.

Effective Cross-Cultural Communicators

Cultural conflicts within the U.S K-12 can also be solved by the teacher being more effective cross-cultural communicators. This is important as students will be able to understand the role played by the culture within a multi-cultural school setting. Teachers should help students to build productive relationships with students from different cultures (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2011). Through the relationship, students will have a feeling that they belong and are accepted by other students despite their culture.

Creating an Open and Non-Threatening Classroom

Teachers can also solve cultural conflicts in American K-12 schools by keeping the classroom open and non-threatening. Teachers can maintain this kind of environment by ensuring that all students are given a chance to participate in whatever topic is being discussed in class. For instance, the teacher can prepare discussion questions concerning the issue leading to cultural conflicts (Trueba, Jacobs & Kirton, 2014). Additionally, the teacher can give the student a chance to discuss the situation among them in a more friendly way which is even more effective than when the teacher lectures students on the issue.

Social Studies and Cultural Conflict Resolution

Social studies play an essential role in the process of solving cultural conflicts in American K-12 schools. The social studies curriculum can be adjusted to help students effectively deal with cultural conflicts. To start with, curriculum developers can ensure that the subject incorporates topics of the historical roles played by different heroes and heroines in the field of cultural diversity. Additionally, the subject can include specific topics defining various concepts such as justice, equity as well as citizenship (Delpit, 2006). The topics can also include ways of reducing tension with aims of ensuring that students from different cultures can learn together. The new social studies curriculum will ensure that students better understand each other as well as their present, past, and future.

Student-Centered and Process-Oriented Curriculum

The social studies curriculum can also be adjusted to be a student-centered subject. However, it is worth noting that this does not imply that students will only be studying about themselves and their culture (Trueba, Jacobs & Kirton, 2014). Instead, it means that students will familiarize themselves with the contexts of their lives as the starting point for examining other cultures and the world in all of its diversity and complexity.

The social study curriculum can also be adjusted to be a process-oriented curriculum. Following the adjustments, the emphasis will be moved from content to process as well as from school to student. The process establishes the needs of the student to learn as the determinant of the instructional process (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2011). The new social study curriculum will be able to expose students to more than current occupational skills and factual knowledge where they will learn new and improved ways of thinking, interacting, and communicating with students from different cultures. Moreover, designing the social studies curriculum in this way prepares students to encounter the unknown as well as to accommodate a wide range of cultural patterns.

Conclusion

It is clear from the discussion that culture is like an iceberg where one can only see a small portion of it above the water. However, the largest part is hidden under the water. Solving cultural conflicts in American K-12 school requires an understanding of what different students value as well as what different cultures consider being right or wrong. Lastly, it is evident that the curriculum can be adjusted in various ways to help students efficiently deal with cultural conflicts.

References

Banks, J. A. (2015). Cultural diversity and education. Routledge.

Brinson, J. A., Kottler, J. A., & Fisher, T. A. (2004). Cross‐Cultural Conflict Resolution in the Schools: Some Practical Intervention Strategies for Counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82(3), 294-301.

Deutsch, M., Coleman, P. T., & Marcus, E. C. (Eds.). (2011). The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.

Delpit, L. (2006). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. The New Press.

Trueba, H. T., Jacobs, L., & Kirton, E. (2014). Cultural Conflict & Adaptation. Routledge.