the value of cultural texts in the classroom

Learning about other cultures in the classroom can be interesting to some people and the most boring unit of study for others. I think whether it appeals to you or not, it's important to be educated on the different aspects of the world and others' view on life. 

Cultural texts may not be the most informative way of learning new things about other cultures BUT they at least open your mind to the fact that there is a diverse population of people in the world. Without cultural texts in the high school curriculum there would be way too many people who have one-sided views on what others believe in, and even how some go about their everyday routines. 

So, whether learning about other cultures through books like the kite runner interests you or not, the reality is that it is an important aspect to our education. For example, if we never read the kite runner many of us wouldn't have any understanding of the afghan culture. Having knowledge about afghanistan and what people like Amir went through, all-in-all broadens our perspective on the diversity of world-wide culture.

Sources vs. Experience

     

       Are literary works a valuable and reliable source in examining other cultures?

     Ask yourself this question first: If you were thrown into the middle of Russia would you really know all that much on what's going around you, what time it is, where you should be going? Would you have read enough articles, taken enough classes, watched enough movies to truly know and understand a completely new environment? The answer is simply no, you would not. Literary works do not provide enough insight into a culture. A lot of the time articles/books/essays stress one idea, thought, or opinion on a culture, but this idea does not cover each and every element in a culture. Each evidence will provide the reader/watcher with completely different insights into the country. Let's face it, no matter what kind of education you have on this culture you will never truly experience it until you put yourself into the culture itself. 

This is seen in our recent class novel "The Kite Runner" through many different ideas. One of these being the cruelty of the Taliban. We may have a considerable understanding of how brutal the Taliban was in that time but do we actually consider the effects the Taliban had on Afghanistan's culture? How different peoples' social status changed, the neglecting of women, the constant stress of 'who will be taken next' or 'what will happen next' are all contributing factors to the inside opinion on the Taliban. None of us truly understand this because we were simply not there to experience it. 

Culture In The Classroon

To be able to truly appreciate something in life, first, you must fully understand it. People are told to be excepting of others, not to discriminate against religion, but how are people expected to except something they know nothing about?

Schools have recently started introducing a more diverse cultural background in the curriculum. This step in education could be very beneficial in the future education and social politics. Teaching kids about other cultures in the classroom is a good way to help the society be more excepting and aware of other cultures in the future by making the students aware of the world around them when they grow up. I feel its valuable to learn about different cultures around the world in school because it opens up the minds of the students. it gives them a better understanding of what else is going on in the world.

If kids didn't learn about of cultures other than their own the world would be very one sided because you wouldn't be able to properly see both sides of the story or event without the full information or background into the situation. Because of this i feel schools should continue to teach cultural diversity in the classroom.

Hassan's Harelip was kind of a big deal

So when I started writing this I didn't realise their were actual set topics we had to write about... Now its the night before it's due and I don't have the sheet but my good pal Dray Dray filled me in on the topics and I don't like them so here's this:

So after watching the Kite Runner movie there were a few things that seemed off. I liked the book a lot and the film-makers left out some details I thought were pretty important. First of all omitting Sohrab's attempt at suicide changed the entire tone of the end of the novel. It was left out and it changes the severity of Sohrab's depression. In the novel he's shown as excited to go to America, he asks about the bridges in San Francisco and seems somewhat happy about it, up until he finds out he may have to go to an orphanage temporarily. His fear of being put back where he started is his motivation to attempt to kill himself. In the novel we see Sohrab lose all hope as he attempts to kill himself and then becomes a mute reclusive child, opposite to the hope we see before in him. However in the film he simply remains quiet after being rescued. Although it's still understandable seeing as he has gone through serious trauma from being held captive, we don't get any idea of what he might actually be like. We are unaware if Sohrab is just a shy quiet kid, or if he's just upset to be out of his home. In the film we aren't given any idea as to Sohrab's feelings and it leaves a lot to the imagination as opposed to the novel where Sohrab's character is much more defined.

Okay so that had literally nothing to do with the title it just kind of bugged me. Now here's what I really wanted to talk about.
Hassan's harelip... such a little detail they could have just added with a little make up for the first few scenes and then taken it off but noooooooooooo they had to do it there way.
The harelip is a very important part of the story. Not only is it a symbol but it gives us a little insight into a few characters. The harelip is a simple deformity, it would be shown as a sign of weakness in some cultures and to any kids its an easy thing to pick on in any culture (kids are mean). However Hassan smiles on through it and stays positive and happy in his own little world. From this we see Hassan's true character, despite all of his struggles in life, his status, the way he is treated, etc he accepts his life the way it is and stays positive. We also see some of  Baba's character, as we later find out Baba is Hassan's father too. We see Baba's empathy and acceptance through his love for Hassan despite his cultural status or any flaws he may have. Baba sees Hassan for his character alone and treats him with love.
Ok I get this is long but hold on because this is my final point...
Hassan's harelip is also extra important because it is used to symbolize Amir's change nearing the end of the story.
Amir goes through a large change in character in the final section of the story as he becomes more brave and honourable through tracking down and saving Sohrab. After he fights Assef and saves Sohrab Amir mentions a scar on his lip, stating it resembles a cleft lip. This subtle similarity is mentioned for a reason. To show Amir has become similar to Hassan, who is shown to be an extremely honourable man and a good father to Sohrab. Amir's inner change into an honourable man more suited to be a father is shown by his outer change to resemble Hassan.
But with the harelip taken out of the movie, that change is much more difficult to see. The only glimpse we get is the parallel of the line "for you a thousand times over" at the end, however with no change visible before this scene it's quite difficult to get an idea of Amir's over all change in character.

Overall I found the characters in the movie far less developed then they were in the book. They were much less relatable and all together a lot less real. However the location and actual look of the movie was quite nice although the movie could have been done better.

Cultural aspects learned through The Kite Runner

While reading and studying the novel “The Kite Runner”, I have learned a lot about culture in Afghanistan. Within The Kite Runner we studied and researched Pashtuns and Hazaras.  The main character Amir is a pashtun and his servants son Hassan is a Hazara. Within social ranking the  Pashtuns are higher ranked people and are mostly wealthy and well educated. Where as hazaras are considered nobodys and are only looked at as servants, Just before Hassan gets raped Assef says “It’s just a Hazara” (80 ).  Showing that if it had been a pashtun or someone else than he would have thought of it as more sinful but since its just a Hazara it did not matter.

I also learned about the women within the Afghani culture. I learned that most women in afghanistan are illiterate and have no education and cant work or essentially leave the house without a  male escort and being fully covered in a burqa. This discrimination is shown when Baba talks about how the big powerful countries in the world were men and the weak and not so powerful countries were women.

Literary works are valuable sources in examining other cultures

1.          Literary works are defined by copyright law to mean any work, other than a dramatic or musical work, which is written, spoken or sung.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I believe literary sources such as the novel The Kite Runner are an excellent way of obtaining knowledge of other cultures. The Kite Runner is a very well written novel that brings you into the characters lives living right in the heart of Afghan culture.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 This novel lets you follow the characters through life and experience their culture as they do. It lets you see how things such as religion fit into their everyday life. For example how Hassan is treated poorly because he is a Hazara and Amir is treated in a higher regard as a Pashtun. Its not just facts being read, you actually get to understand how and why things happen in their life, such as the Taliban taking over. This novel pulls you into their life while giving you a deeper understanding of the culture.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I believe you learn more by reading a novel about the culture because its a more interesting way of learning. You are receiving facts while being entertained. You get to understand how each aspect of the culture comes into play in their life. 
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Culture in The Kite Runner

While reading The Kite Runner, we have learned a lot about the culture in Afghanistan. The biggest cultural focus is on the Pashtun and Hazara society. Disagreements arose between the Pashtuns and Hazara which caused conflict between the two religious groups. The Pastuns gained power and rose to the top of the society pyramid. The two groups are now very different in their sense of religion, culture, as well as their ethnic appearance. In The Kite Runner, the main character Amir is a Pashtun and his servant's son, Hassan, is a Hazara. Both boys live very different lives. Amir is wealthy and can accomplish whatever he likes, meanwhile Hassan is a servant, he cannot become literate, and he must listen to what the Pashtuns tell him. We also learn that Hazara people have a flat nose and look partly Chinese, as proved in the kite runner when Assef calls Hassan a "flat nosed Hazara".

Another cultural element that is portrayed is the inequality towards women. Women are prohibited from receiving an education, and making executive decisions. Arranged marriages often occurred because her father has the "ultimate authority" over who he believes his daughter should marry. Men also are able to divorce his wife without her approval, which demonstrates that in their culture the men are believed to be the most powerful.  During halftime at the soccer game Amir attends, they throw stones at woman who were accused of committing adultery. Meanwhile men could preform the exact same action and get away with it. This goes to show how unfair the Taliban were to women during this time period.

Throughout The Kite Runner the reader gains a lot of knowledge about the Afghanistan culture, such as the Pashtuns versus the Hazaras and the treatment of women.

Cultures in class

I think both yes and no that it is valuable to learn about culture in class. The part that makes me think yes, its important to study culture in class is the fact that we don't exactly how difficult it is in some parts of the world because we have it so good in Canada. We as the youth need to be more exposed to the world to understand the struggle of other people in different countries and realize the greatness of our country. I also think its not valuable because... 3/4 of the people don't care and wont pay to much attention.

Is it valuable to learn about other cultures in the classroom?

Personally, I really don't think that is it valuable to learn about other cultures in the classroom.. The topic doesn't really interest me and I have a hard time focusing with it.. I think other cultures become more interesting as we get older but right now its kind of boring. I think if people wanted to learn about other cultures there should be other ways instead of the 3C unit and that in high school we should be learning about something else.

What The Kite Runner Teaches Readers About Culture

Culture in the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

First of all, what is culture?

cul·ture

ˈkəlCHər/

noun

1. 1.

   the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.

In other words, culture is our way of life. From our values, beliefs, customs and traditions, to the languages we speak, we are all influenced by culture. 

I have learned more about life and culture in the Afghan region of the world from the Kite Runner than from any other source I've read. Hosseini tells this story from a first-hand understanding, while incorporating many true cultural facts within the novel.

The Kite Runner contains so much power in it's pages due to it's demonstration of the major contrast between the North American Culture and the Afghan culture. This comparison truly opens the reader's eyes to how different our way of life is here in Canada, and overall how fortunate we are to live in a peaceful, free country.

The way Hosseini weaves the Afghan value of culture throughout the novel teaches me that to the Afghan people - culture is everything. Hosseini's characters are so passionate about culture that it becomes a powerful cause which either brings people together; or tears them apart. From how Baba lives a life of lies in order to protect his cultural honor, to the way Assef and the Taliban murder innocent people because of their beliefs in religion and cultural codes of conduct, Afghan people immerse themselves in their culture.

This novel also teaches me that those who truly love and value their culture can preserve it and continue to cherish it no matter where they are in the world. Baba and Amir's move to America may have taken away a lot of their familiarity and comfort, but even all the way across the ocean in Western culture, the characters' passion for their culture is undying.  They continue to speak their language among each other, they still practice the same traditions, and they still delight themselves in Afghan cuisine.

On the whole, Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner teaches the readers the importance of culture in Afghanistan as it is highly valued and deeply repsected by all Afghan people.

Culture is Important In School Systems

I believe it is very important in our society today to learn about different cultures within the school curriculum. With the growing population of our world, there are more and more people following certain religions that we know little about. Our society is becoming so sheltered and judgemental towards other cultures because of our misunderstanding and lack of knowledge on them. Learning about different cultures, expands our knowledge of ourselves and the world around us. Learning about different parts of the world gives us the opportunity to show proper respect and acceptance in our society. Learning about different cultures in the school curriculum opens doors to acceptance, understanding and overall respect for not only the students of the schools, but the members to society as well.

Is it valuable to learn about other cultures in the classroom?

I that its valuable but we shouldn't learn in the classroom. If people want to learn about other cultures I think that they should look it up on their own time because there is much more important things that we could be learning in English class. If there's a lot of people that want to learn about other cultures they should take geography or start a culture class where that's all you learn. It is valuable to learn about other cultures if you are reading a book like the kite runner though because it gives you background to the book and will help you to understand why characters in the novel act the way they do or do things the way they do. So all together I guess it just really matters why you're learning about the cultures.

Are Literary Works A Valuable and Reliable Source in Examining Other Culture?:

        I think that literary works such as novels, poems and short stories are great for examining other cultures. Many authors take pride in their literary works, they are passionate about their careers and so they put in the time and effort. This is good because if they want their novels to be of good quality, they research and put a lot of work into the information and words that go into it. There was one novel a girl read in my class last year and when my teacher was talking about it, he mentioned that the other did three years of research on information surrounding the novel before he began to write it. So i believe that novels are a good way to learn about and examine other countries because those who write the works put effort into every last detail so it is very accurate. Also it is better then just doing some research on a culture because you can learn about it in a cool way, you can read for the entertainment and learn as you go. The kite runner was a novel about two main characters and their journey through a tough and complicated life, but we were able to learn  a lot about the culture and facts about living where those boys did. We did all that though a novel, so i think that literary works are a very reliable source because of all the thought and research authors put into their jobs and it is valuable because you get the pleasure of reading while learning about new things. 

The Kite Runner Blog Post

Are literary works a valuable and reliable source in examining other cultures?  

I think literary works are valuable and reliable sources when examining other cultures because it presents the subject in a more personal and creative way that's not boring. For example in "The Kite Runner" the story focuses on Amir's life as an Afghanistan and by engaging the reader in his constant fight to keep his honour the reader gets a better understanding of what it must be like growing up in Afghanistan and what's important to them. 

Literary sources on other cultures are more reliable than other sources, like the internet,  because unlike most other sources if you write something in a book it has to go through intense editing by editors and publishers to make sure what you are writing is correct. If you read something about Afghanistan on a website it might not be true because it hasn't gone through the same procedures as a book would of. Books are also more reliable then sources like television because on television you can get a bias opinion about a culture or you might not get the whole story. In a book it presents the history of the culture and why a tragedy took place. In "The Kite Runner" it explained why the Taliban took over, not because the people elected them but because they needed them to save themselves from the Soviet Russians and after they took over. You might not get that information on a 5 minute news story video.  

In conclusion literary works are a valuable and reliable source in examining other cultures.

 

Is it valuable to learn about other cultures?

 Yes, I believe that learning about other cultures is valuable because if you travel to another place or hang out with certain people it would be good to learn about their culture. Learn about what you can do or say around them not to offend them. Like in the kite runner when Baba is in the gas station and they ask him for ID and he get offended but it was completely his fault because it is part of the American culture to ask for ID so he should not be getting mad about that stuff. It is also valuable to learn it in school so that your first impression of a certain culture is not a stereotype of that culture.

The Importance of Cultures in the Classroom

  I do believe that it is valuable to learn about other cultures in the classroom because if we didn't learn about them at school then we would never know about other cultures. Because we are teenagers, and we don't really care about world issues much we wouldn't take our own time out of the day to studies these cultures. It is also important to learn about them because then we can have some diversity in our lives as well.

   Learning about other cultures could encourage us to travel, or learn a new language. It helps us gain knowledge on people other than ourselves and the ones around us. We can actually understand the way other people live and realize the differences between our lives, which allows us to appreciate the country we live in and be grateful for everything we have.

contrast of cultures

I strongly believe it is important to learn about different cultures in English class because... It shows the difference or contrast between our culture and theirs. and gives us better understanding of different cultures and gives us better perspective on our own culture .

You're Jamaican Me Crazy

It annoys me that I am currently in Canada when I could be some place warm like Jamaica. It drives me crazy that I have the ability to pack up and explore the world yet I am stuck here in school creating the "best years of my life". ROTFL

the 2 things that annoys me the most is when u try to erase something but the eraser just smudges it and makes a bigger mess. rt if U agree. or when ppl put an empty container back in the fridge LIKE jus dont do that cause maybe i really wanted some choc milk but theres like less than a mouthful left #relatable 

 thats all i want (full glass of choc milk)

What annoys me the most is my job like its so stupid. Like I will make a pizza and then someone will tell me I made it wrong like how do you make a pizza wrong? You can't! Thats why i'm on leave now because when I go into work I just want to throw myself through the oven. Im also annoyed by people who cry every day about their boyfriends and are still with them. Also when they ask me for rides to Tim Hortons. Get out of Here Clammy.

My life

ye my life is annoying. I wake up and do tha same thing, im tired all the time............ an life jus sucks. i cryin all tha time, i dont got any money, i try and tell my dog things and htye tell me they dun care. school is stressful stupid and like really doe tha homework is mean man. my dog always stealing my oranges and my q tips, my dogs dont luv me no more, neither do anybody. i try real hard but like it never seems to be good enough for my or my. ye life sucks but i gotta. and can really yknow be mean so dats annoying too. i also got a dat wont drive me to tim hortons when pass it on way home anyways like wuts da prioblemmmmmm >?????

Stuff that annoys Sarah

Things that annoy Sarah...

What annoys me?

• people chewing with their mouths open
• when my sister stands in front of the t.v.
• MONDAYS. especially Monday mornings
• when the bag of chips get stuck in the vending machine !
• when my mom cancelled netflix...
• when I can't afford concert tix
• impatient drivers

Things That Annoy Me

 Things That Annoy Me 

Not a lot of things annoy me, but the things that do are... 

1. When teachers expect students to work on websites that they themselves have never worked on ;p
2. Thinking you aced a test then getting it back and ending up nearly failing it 
3. When people mispronounce Niall Horan's name as Neal Horan 
4. When teachers don't come to class the day that their is a major test 
5. When I finish a book and have to wait a year for the next one
6. Mornings in general 
7. Hoping it will be a snow day then waking up and learning every other school but yours has a snow day 

Stuff that annoys me...

Something that annoys me is hearing people chew food. The sound of food crunching in between peoples teeth is a big pet peeve to me. I constantly get annoyed with the people around me when I can hear them chewing food, and they are not quiet about it. 

things that annoy me

   Ignorance, its disturbing to know  people believe that they are higher then others due to social class ethnicity, and also wealth, but personally i feel we  are not different at all , its unfortunate to know that in 2014 we still have racism, its resulting to violence , deaths and riots .. for example Ferguson,  at times i feel there is  no way out , society has changed  and its becoming corrupt.

Annoying:

"The Essay On How One Man Can Really Annoy Kyle Alexander"

           In life there are three types of people, those that make it happen, those that watch it happen and those that don't even know what the heck is going on. Dantai St. Louis is the third type of person, and that annoys Kyle Alexander. It seems as if know matter how well the explanation or how much information you give, Dantai always seems to have one more question about the subject. These facts possibly show that Dantai is feeling unloved by those around him and feels the constant need to ask questions just so he can have a conversation with those he loves. The end result of this is the annoyance of Kyle because many questions Dantai asks he could answer himself if he took the time to think and listen. But although his team rips him, they still love him and wouldn't enjoy the team without his presence. 

         

Something that annoy me

How I get grounded every other month.

Annoying Things

Basically everything annoys me. I just get really irritated really easily. And then I can't filter, so if I'm annoyed by something you'll know just by looking at my face. I especially hate when people can see that I'm listening to music or reading but they still decide to talk to me. Or Bailie. She annoys me.

What annoys Scott

Something that annoys good ol scotty h is the fact that there is snow outside gheeez.

Something that annoys Jelani

Something that annoys Jelani is that Jelani does not like when people say something without thinking it out or when people say dumb stuff.

What annoys me

When your teacher makes you write a blog like it's 2003.