Culture Survey Paper

Matt Altstiel
2/28/06
TESL 3001

Culture Survey Assignment Paper

The United States of America is a nation of immigrants. Although some of my ancestry is Native American (Lakota, Pine Ridge Reservation), the majority of my ethnicity is Central European. As a result, my ancestors incorporated and shared the culture of their homeland and their newly adopted land. In my family, German and Danish idioms are still used within everyday speech. In the same way, today’s immigrants vary and enrich our own commonly recognized American culture. Nevertheless, there exists a substantial degree of cultural ignorance about the original cultures of many of our immigrant populations. Since this original culture continues to inform cultural practices of a particular community, it is important to understand other cultural perspectives. In order to gain insight into the Twin Cities’ Somali community (which now numbers more than 60,000), I interviewed a 22 year old Somali student. The interview yielded surprising culture similarities, differences and important implications for teaching English as Second Language.

Although my cultural informant and I have lived in the United States for roughly the same amount of time, and our accents are virtually the same, she and I come from vastly different cultural backgrounds. My informant was born in Somalia, specifically in a rural region and immigrated to a high density, urban neighborhood of San Jose, California when she was two. Right before 8th grade, at age 13, she moved to Bloomington, MN and has lived in the Twin Cities ever since. My informant has been a legal citizen of the United States since 1994. I was born in Milwaukee, WI with a fairly “typical” Mid-western suburban upbringing to parents of German, Danish and Lakota ancestry. I have lived my entire life, except for a five month stay in Toledo, Spain, within the cultural confines of the Upper Midwest. I have known my informant for over three years. As such, our relationship has been strengthened by increased cultural knowledge and understanding.

Despite a real geographical distance of over 7,500 miles between Minnesota and Somalia, there are many cultural similarities between East African and American culture. Culturally, the family is the most important and fundamental social unit for both societies. Most Somali families, like American families, delegate different social responsibilities to mothers and fathers. For examples, mothers in both societies often carry the burden of child rearing, while the father will earn the wage to provide for his family. My informant revealed that women wield the civil power, while men wield the political power. Economic power is roughly shared between the mother and the father. While my informant did not grow up with a typical “nuclear” family, the familial roles and structures within her family mirrored my own and those of my friends. Elders, specifically, grandparents and great grandparents traditionally are the most venerated members of both cultures. Older children assume the role as principal caretakers of aged or the enfeebled. The shared bond of blood relation and common ancestry are powerful cultural forces in both Somali and American society.

The cultural similarities do not end with the structure of the family. On the most basic level Somalis work for the same reasons Americans: to sustain their families and themselves. On a more meaningful level, my informant told me that members of each culture gain a sense of fulfillment through their employment. Likewise, the nature of employment and level of educational attainment reflects either a rural or an urban upbringing. The need for educational attainment and academic excellence are impressed upon children from a young age in both cultures. Tied directly to work, both cultures share a similar desirability for self-sufficiency. Personal independence should be fully achieved by the time a societal member enters into adulthood, in both cultures typically around age eighteen. Societal success depends to a large degree upon individual rank within their place of employment. My informant and I agreed that only the very young or the very old / enfeebled were not expected to be independent. Type of work and level of self-reliance constitute hierarchal societal identifiers in both countries.

Somalia, as my informant explained, lies at a cultural crossroads much like the United States. Many cultures, including: Saudi, Yemeni, Omoro, Ethiopian, Hubasha, and Italian have mixed together to create the poly-cultural and poly-racial mix that is present day Somalia. She explained that although she would consider herself ethnically Somali, she mentioned that like me, we are ethnically and culturally mixed. In the same way, she reflected that Somali, as a language, has incorporated words and structures from a vast variety of neighboring tongues. English bears the imprint of Latin, French, Spanish and a myriad of other languages. Far from being homogenous societies, each country has mixed cultures and languages as diverse as their respective terrains.

Although substantial cultural similarities exist between Midwestern American and Somali culture, there are a number of cultural distinctions that require attention. For example, the notion of family is much more inclusive and extensive for Somalis than for the Midwestern American. My informant related that even friends within the community, if older, receive the honorary title of aunt or uncle. Family sizes are much larger as the number offspring can determine a family’s level of societal success. In the same way, grandparents assume a more active role in child rearing, since grandparents often live in the same house of their daughter. Individuality, as defined by owning one’s own home does not take on the same cultural value for Somalis as it does for Americans. It is atypical for American grandparents to live in the same house as their sons or daughters. The term “nuclear family” indeed would have little resonance within the common Somali conception of family and community.

The value and interrelatedness of community in everyday life also takes on heightened significance. While Somalis also will go to the hospital when they are ill, religion takes a more central role in physical and emotional well being. While someone is in the hospital or on a sick bed, prayers are read from the Koran by Imams (spiritual leaders) who also offer alms and spiritual guidance. In keeping with one of the pillars of the Islamic faith, Vakat (alms giving), family members are required to spend substantial time with the sick and injured. While most Midwestern Americans would site religion as an important component of their lives, Christianity does not provide the level of structure nor the identity that Islam gives Somalis. The formal, mandatory five daily prayers of Islam contrasts sharply with the informal nature of Protestant prayer. Likewise, members of the wider Somali community (here in Minneapolis – St. Paul) must offer their house to any newly arrived immigrant family and assist them during the initial process of settlement. The commonality of the Muslim religion helps reinforce the size and scope of the Somali community.

Cultural expectations for children vary markedly between Somali and American societies. In the United States, children are judged mainly on how they interact with peers of their own age or of a similar age group. Mutual respect and the general guiding principle of “the Golden Rule” inform cultural practices within both groups. However; Somali children are most often judged based on the manners and respect they show towards their elders. Children, in this regard, are expected to obedient, almost subservient to the needs and demands of their elders. American children, on the other hand, dominate conversation and modes of interaction when surrounded by adults. My informant would never use typical American descriptions such as “warm, relaxed, pressure free” to describe her own or other Somali grandparents.

While Americans are known world-wide for their highly valued individuality and self-reliance, children remain more highly dependent upon their parents later in life. As a result, the period of guidance often goes on longer and is more intense between American parents and their children. In Somali culture, societal success depends less upon monetary acquisition than upon family size or agricultural holdings. My informant reminded me that although educational attainment is important, she had to figure out the college application process for herself. American High schools and parents offer much more college and career guidance than their Somali counterparts. The process of achieving self-sufficiency, as well as the nature of education in general is fundamentally different between American and Somali culture.

The commonality of all linguistic forms obviously extends to a certain degree between Somali and English. However, both languages share a Latin written form only because linguists developed a written Somali language so recently (1982). Since Somali is not an Indo-European language, any true cognates are sheer coincidence or a result of later vocabulary borrowing. Somali speech patterns are less formalized and often more direct. Midwestern English (often critiqued as too polite by Americans living on the East and West coasts) is notoriously wordy and evasive by contrast.

In Somali culture, respect is conveyed much more through social hierarchy and body language than through words. Body language also differs between Somali and English. My informant specifically mentioned various greetings such as women kissing on both cheeks, men holding hands, and placing one hand on the chest as noticeable cultural variances. In particular, I noticed a huge difference in the level of eye contact. In English speaking cultures, eye contact is high valued and shows the speaker that the listener is following and values his/her message. In Muslim cultures, a high degree of eye contact, especially between women and men is considered rude, if not overly aggressive. Linguistic and pragmatic differences between Somali and American English represent significant barriers to cultural interaction and understanding.

Despite all the bases for comparison and commonality, the culture survey questions did not yield the most surprising answer. As a college student more or less severed from a central Somali community, my informant revealed the difficulty of living within a cultural middle ground. Like many children of immigrants or younger immigrants, their familial culture sometimes puts them at odds with the dominant domestic culture. For Somalis, this difference is heightened by religious, racial and obvious cultural markers (women wearing Hijab). My informant often wavers closer to one side or the other depending on the situation, but unfortunately cannot fully identify with either. This produces feelings of cultural and personal insecurity. My informants perfect English and imperfect Somali, insistence and engagement of social activism, and large number of non-Muslim friends places her at odds with the Somali community. Her decision to wear Hijab as a sign of modesty sometimes dissuades people from getting to know her and readily identifies her as “an other” outside the traditional culture assumptions of Americans. My informants answer surprised me due to the relative ease (I perceived) she had gliding in between cultures and social groups. If someone possessing such an extensive knowledge of American culture and impressive command of English felt such a profound sense of conflict, more recently arrived immigrants surely must feel an even greater sense of cultural and linguistic uncertainty.

Many immigrants must feel this profound sense of isolation that comes with the de-territorialization of their homeland. Hearing the testimony from my informant, I reflected that as a study abroad student, the sense of homesickness and force of culture shock was profound. My style of dress as well as accent let Spaniards know I was an American. I received mistreatment or indifference as a result. This question highlighted the stereotypes that native-born Americans possess as well as the potentially damaging effects they could have upon immigrants or second generation children.

Although I teach an entirely Latino group of students English, many of the questions and lessons revealed in this assignment are relevant to teaching. Understanding another culture can highlight cultural priorities that can enhance or inhibit learning. Removing cultural barriers can make students less anxious and lower an affective filter. Stereotypes of immigrants or conversely of their new adopted country can lower motivation. For example, after speaking with my informant, pairing a Muslim woman with a non-family related man could create a communicative barrier. Misunderstandings if properly corrected will allow students to engage native speakers without fear and receive critical real time interaction.

When teaching Latinos or really any other ethnic group it is important to remember cultural priorities while slowly and carefully introducing American cultural values and priorities. Knowing key linguistic differences also can derive successful ways to teach speech and pronunciation. While a first language should never be allowed to be a crutch, when inserted properly, it can add meaning to English in ways English alone cannot. Embracing cultural commonalities between native and non-native cultures can instill a sense of pride and intrinsic motivation. Common activities and social practices are a crucial mechanism of achieving cultural translation. Discussing differences can help demystify potential points of conflict and lead to mutual respect and understanding. Knowing more about another’s culture gives the learner a crucial reference point for interaction.

When teaching Somali (or other Muslims), especially during night classes, it is paramount to heed religious holidays or celebrations. Ask students if class periods conflicts with prayer times, and plan breaks accordingly. By including longer break periods and encouraging students to bring in food to share for the Eid (or breaking of the fast, a feast that occurs every night during Ramadan) students will have a forum for cultural exchange and a pressure free environment for English conversation. Somali students can then help lead a cultural lesson to teach non-Somalis about Islam and their culture.

In Somalia, an expansive oral tradition continues to inform education and cultural acquisition. Therefore, when teaching English more attention must be paid to writing and reading skills which may have not been as heavily emphasized in their homeland. Assigning practical reading exercises of multiple lengths will familiarize Somalis with written grammar structures. Writing skills can be incorporated through the use of journals which will provide direct, but less intrusive teacher feedback. Through journals, teachers can ensure students relevant writing exercises as students reflect upon the various situations they encounter in their every day lives. Employing these techniques will allow teachers to teach ESL to Somalis and other immigrants more effectively.

While English remains the overriding language in American business, politics and culture, those speaking the language come from a vast variety of backgrounds. As a teacher, it is important to learn more about our students’ cultural background and plan accordingly. Somalis students, like any group of students, bring both opportunities and challenges to teaching English. As a result, rather than downplaying the role of their native culture, teachers should stress the compatibility of both cultures as students adapt to life in their new country. Positive intrinsic motivation only truly occurs within a climate of acceptance and understanding. Sustained interaction inevitably allows each side to grow both culturally and personally. The similarities and differences of a given culture must be successfully managed and incorporated into a lesson plan and broader curriculum.