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(Unit 4) Topic 1: Cultural Competency and Responsiveness

3 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

What is Culture?

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Culture is defined as the intersection of one's national origin, religion, language, sexual orientation, socio-economic class, age, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and physical/developmental ability.

Culture encompasses cumulative knowledge, values, behaviors, and practices passed from one generation to the next.

Culture is communicated and transferred both consciously and unconsciously and it influences how we think and what we think about; what to judge and how to judge it; how to act and how not to act; what is good and what is bad; what is right and what is wrong; what is appropriate and what is unacceptable.

We often take culture for granted and do not think about it unless we are operating outside of the culture we live within, or when our own cultural beliefs and practices are contrasted with another culture’s beliefs and practices.

Cultural diversity is the norm in America; we all must learn to function in a diverse society. Culture influences our values, expectations of behavior, social customs, and basically how we live our lives. Culture is an integrated pattern of knowledge, beliefs and behavior that weave a group of people together. These patterns and beliefs guide children in how to behave and interact within their family and community.

It is very likely that you will care for children whose backgrounds and lives are different from your own. The U.S. Census from 2010 shows that 45% of the school population is now made up of racially and culturally diverse groups. It is expected that by 2035, children of color will be in the majority, and that by 2050 children of color will represent 62% of the early learning and school-aged population.

Children need to develop a positive self-identity in order to thrive. Children start developing a sense of who they are at birth. Relationships with family members, other adults and children, friends and members of their community all play a key role in building their identities. Children as young as 3-6 months begin to notice the visual aspects of racial difference. It is critical that you demonstrate acceptance of differences beginning with the very youngest.

Attributes of Culture

Identity is shaped by many factors including a child’s: