My colleague was telling me a recent happening with her 4 year old daughter. She was reading a book about unsung heroes, about an African-American woman that courageously took part in the racial equality movement. Her daughter was confused, asked her mother why she had to do this. Her mother went on to try to explain that many years ago, people with dark color could not even go to school with people with light color, and showed her a picture from that time period. Her daughter immediately said, “oh, then this guy is in the wrong class, because he has dark hair!!” That is when my colleague decided, why confuse her daughter with a strange, biased view point, when she has a very clear and straightforward view of the world already! This made us think about how, exactly, can we teach our children about diversity and accepting differences in this day and age. Being exposed from a young age to a diverse environment will certainly be a good start, but is that enough? When children start to be exposed to extreme ideas and even prejudiced views, how can they maintain an unbiased viewpoint? This article gives a few very basic but very important points. First, and foremost, parents should show by example how they should view other people. “Do as I say but not as I do” never works with children. Even our attitude, or what we tell our spouse about certain people will deeply influence our children’s view of others. Also, differences will come up, and children should be well aware of that. Being “blind to differences” is not realistic nor helpful in growing up to be an open, kind person. Children should know that there will be differences between people’s appearance, wardrobe, habits, foods, etc, and these are all things we can share and learn from each other. I grew up most of my life in different parts of the US, but at home, we were very Japanese in culture. My mother cooked like a good Japanese wife, and we were only allowed to speak Japanese in the home. I remember going to school, being proud of my heritage, wanting to share the unique lifestyle I had, that was obviously different from my classmates. I remember my home-economics teacher asking my mother to come into class, to demonstrate how to make “sushi” (aka California rolls). I attribute this view of my different background, to the open minded view of my teachers and friends. I never felt like being different was humiliating, but rather, something to be proud of. Here is a great list of 10 children’s books that teach diversity. These are not new books, some of them have been around for a few decades, but are great tools to talk about and see what your children have in their active, wonderful minds. - Yumi Zaic
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Are you getting more out-of-office messages than replies to your messages? Are you having trouble getting in touch with your European colleagues? Well, it must be August then, the time for vacation, the time for relaxation and getting away from the busy days before it all starts again in September. Despite some rumors, Europe does not “shut down” for an entire month but things do get a little slower and don’t be surprised to find “Closed for holiday” sign on many business doors for several weeks. But why August?
Take the Italian national holiday, Ferragosto on August 15th, for example. The term itself derives from the Latin expression Feriae Augusti (Augustus' holiday), which is a celebration introduced by the emperor Augustus in 18 BC, around the same time many celebrate harvest, and take time off after the hard labor of the previous weeks and months. The same day is also a religious holiday, Assumption of Mary, which is celebrated by churches around the world. Besides the historical reasons, of course, there are quite a few practical reasons to vacation this month from the nice weather, quieter large cities to giving the children and yourself a break before school starts. If you are interested in reading more about this topic, check out this article or this one. - Kornelia Lasluisa It is Friday, World Music Friday!
On a hot summer day like today, we want to cool off a little by traveling to the northern lands, today we visit Sweden. One of the key characteristics of Swedish culture is that Swedes are egalitarian in nature, humble and find boasting absolutely unacceptable. In many ways, Swedes prefer to listen to others as opposed to ensuring that their own voice is heard. When speaking, Swedes speak softly and calmly. It is rare that you were to witness a Swede demonstrating anger or strong emotion in public. Swedes rarely take hospitality or kindness for granted and as such, they will often give thanks. Behaviors in Sweden are strongly balanced towards ‘lagom’ or, ‘everything in moderation’. Excess, flashiness and boasting are abhorred in Sweden and individuals strive towards the middle way. As an example, work hard and play hard is not a common concept in Sweden. People work hard but not too hard, they go out and enjoy themselves, but without participating in anything extreme. Due to the strong leaning towards egalitarianism in Sweden, competition is not encouraged and children are not raised to believe that they are any more special than any other child. The family unit in Sweden is extremely important and as such, the rights of children are well protected. The rights afforded to Swedish families to ensure that they are able to adequately care for their children are some of the best rights in the world. In Sweden's advanced general welfare state, communal institutions ensure the well-being and economic security of all citizens. No other country has as low a rate of poverty and social exclusion. Health, education, and social-welfare programs are comprehensive and universal. Coverage for all citizens prevents the development of an underclass. If this wasn’t enough, Sweden also has a long history of great musicians and artists. Here a little taste of a new generation of musicians, they are called First Aid Kit with the song My Silver lining, Enjoy! |
AuthorUnicultural team and trainers, sharing our views and experiences on everything cultural. Archives
May 2016
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