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ERIC Number: ED309015
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1987-Oct-22
Pages: 29
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Subcultures and Educators: Concerns of Membership in Education.
Heimlich, Joe E.; Van Tilburg, Emmalou
Educators are always dealing with subcultures, whether or not they are labeled as such. The distinguishing elements of a subculture are the values behind observable cultural traits. Each person belongs to one or more subcultures, and the values ascribed either by the subculture to itself or by the greater culture to that subset have continual impact upon a person's world view, which, in turn, influences the individual's responses in a learning situation. Educators often believe that they can effectively enter a subculture, albeit through acculturation. Outsiders, however, may be accepted, but rarely do they achieve full member status within the group. Subcultural values and beliefs remain abstract as non-members have not had the necessary personal experiences to understand fully the symbolism and history behind them. Understanding the inherent barriers can provide an educator with the tools necessary for sharing knowledge with any subcultural group. A client-centered approach to providing educational opportunities to adult members of a subculture allows the educator to act as facilitator to a group of subcultural representatives as they identify their own educational needs. A short role-playing exercise provides graduate students or adult education practitioners with exposure to some of the issues encountered when a member of the greater culture seeks to develop an educational program for a subcultural group. This report contains 18 references and instructions for the exercise. (SV)
Publication Type: Opinion Papers; Reports - Descriptive; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Conference of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (Washington, DC, October 22, 1987).