Pick two cultures and explain how they could have hardships in learning and assimilation into an American culture. With any culture coming from another country it would be difficult to adjust to differences in the legal systems and economic systems of America. For example there would be healthcare costs, taxes, licenses, etc. The first culture I chose is Mexican culture. I chose Mexican culture because I have had many friends or friends’ parents that have moved here from Mexico. One of the biggest hardships of any culture would have to be the language barrier along with generally trying to accustom to the U.S. Moving to a new country without being fluent in their language would be very difficult. Communicating basic needs and means of living would be a challenge. Education differs greatly in Mexico.
After grade 6 students have to pay for books and due to poverty many can’t afford them. The education in the US may be challenging because of the higher qualifications to graduate compared to Mexico. As a result of the discouragement they experienced from not being able to afford textbooks, this could put their reading and writing level behind. Additional hardships and assimilation into American culture would be the priority of family/community and facing discrimination. In Mexican culture, family is a very important aspect. Most of the time in Mexican culture, family comes before work and there is usually an open and welcoming community with friends, neighbors, relatives etc. From what I’ve experienced in American culture, it seems the opposite to me. Most of the time parents don’t get to spend nearly as much time with their children or family as they would like to, and Americans seem more secluded compared to the welcoming community in Mexico. Lastly, the sad part of coming to America is Mexicans would face a lot of discrimination and unfair treatment especially with our current president and the wall that he intends to build to keep immigrants out. There has been many families of immigrants including illegal Mexican Immigrants that have been separated from their children already. With the parents being deported back and the children being held by the federal government.
The second culture I chose is French culture. I chose to do French culture because I have always been interested in France, especially Paris and hope to travel there someday. Along with the language barrier there would most likely be difficulty with how the American school system is split up. In France the school system has Ecole Maternelle (2-6 year olds) Ecole Elementaires (6-11 year olds) colleges (11-15 year olds) and Lycees (15-18 year olds) I wasn’t quite sure what the French words meant but compared to America we have very different ages that fit into certain grade levels. This could pose a problem because the French students may have a hard time getting along with students of older/younger ages. Lastly, another hardship would be food customs in America. In France, they usually have smaller portions with more flavor vs. America has bigger portions with usually not as much flavor. Also, there aren’t as many preservatives in French food because they prioritize their food being fresh. In America we have gotten used to fast food and eating unhealthy in bigger portions. It would take a while to get used to the food in America and could be very expensive to try and simulate French food practices. Compare nature vs. nurture & heredity vs. environment. What do you believe?
I believe that nature and nurture go hand in hand. On page 103 in Understanding Child Development it states, “No longer is it nature versus nurture, but nature through nurture. Heredity is no longer viewed as placing limits on development, but as working together with environment. Parents and other caregivers must learn to read children’s behavior and create environments that meet the children’s needs and temperaments.” I believe that nature/nurture and heredity/environment work together better instead of comparing one vs. the other. Every child is unique and is going to have individual needs, it’s important that parents and caregivers strive to accommodate those needs. Which Theorist fits what you believe. Explain why. Regardless of my beliefs in the previous question, the theorist that mostly fits what I believe would be Locke because of the blank slate theory for the most part. (Tabula Rasa) Even though this theory leans more on the nurture side, I strongly agree with it because it states that children learn from experience and perception.
