Why cultural negotiation?

Culture and education profoundly influence teaching and learning, inclusive of core values, beliefs, attitudes, type of communication and linguistic styles. When we consider how multicultural instructional settings are in today’s society, we need to be sensitive to possible gaps between the worlds of diverse youth, their leaders, and messages sent. To this end, we need to be cultural negotiators who:

Assume that differences are normal and should be expected
Understand that “teachable moments” may occur
Acknowledge that students have multiple intelligences and multiple ways of learning
Work to eliminate knowledge deficiencies
Create meaningful and transformational connections
How do we improve skills in cultural negotiation

Cultural negotiation is an on-going process that requires consistent attention to societal trends. Also it is understood that there are differences in culture, even among groups who appear similar on the surface.

Notes:

Mayes, C., Cutri, R., Rogers, C., & Montero, F. (2007). Understanding the whole student: Holistic multicultural education. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.