INTRODUCTION
As human beings, we perceive the world in different ways. This part of the chapter is focused on the theories relating to perspectives on (dis)abilities between and within cultures. As you will learn more about this cultural perspective, you are encouraged to think about how this perspective may be important in the field of international education.
THINK: According to the United Nations Statistics Division (n.d.), 12.3% percent of the people in the Netherlands identify as having a disability, compared to 1.5% of the people in Guinea.
- Are there more people with disabilities in the Netherlands than in Guinea?
- Why might someone identify or not identify as someone with a disability?
- How might the U.N. have gathered this information and might it have influenced the results?
- How was disability defined?
- Are there any other questions you might have about these statistics?
PERSPECTIVES IN PRACTICE
Before reading more about the cultural perspective, have a look at these two scenarios between Mr. Bolton and the caretakers of his students. Both Namgung and Noelle were recently diagnosed with ADHD. Mr. Bolton has planned Parent Teacher Conferences to discuss the diagnoses with their caretakers and to plan together how to better meet the students’ learning needs.
When you are finished reading the dialogues, self-evaluate or discuss the following questions:
- Which caregiver do you personally agree with most?
- How would you follow-up with the information you gained in the conference from the educator’s point of view?
SCENARIO 1:
Teacher: Good afternoon, I would like to talk with you about Namgung’s ADHD diagnosis.
Caregiver: I think that’s a good idea.
Teacher: Sometimes doctors recommend medication to help children focus more at least until they learn and practice the skills they need to be able to do it on their own. Right now Namgung is having a great deal of difficulty focusing in school and I’m worried about him falling behind. How do you feel about your doctor’s suggestion that Namgung start on a small dose of medication to help improve his concentration in the classroom?
Caregiver: Personally, I do not see the urgency of giving Namgung medication and I disagree with the doctor. For Namgung to perform better academically, it’s up to you and to us, his family. We need to demonstrate our authority and not let Namgung’s mind wander. Medication only hides the problem and sends a bad message to Namgung. Besides, there may be many side effects and we don’t want Namgung to have to experience them.
Teacher: I understand your feelings. How do you think we can meet Namgung’s learning needs without the medication? How can we help him focus?
Caregiver: I think it is of utmost importance that we are stricter with Namgung. You need to provide more rules and
consequences in class and we will do the same at home. In order to increase Namgung’s achievement, we will have to do more to help him behave properly and respect authority. When he behaves properly, he will learn more. If he doesn’t
behave properly, he will experience some consequences. This is a better strategy than medication.
Now take a look at the same conversation with a different child and caregiver:
SCENARIO 2:
Teacher: Good afternoon, I would like to talk with you about Noelle’s ADHD diagnosis.
Caregiver: I think that’s a good idea.
Teacher: Sometimes doctors recommend medication to help children focus more at least until they learn and practice the skills they need to be able to do it on their own. Right now Noelle is having a great deal of difficulty focusing in school and I’m worried about her falling behind. How do you feel about your doctor’s suggestion that Noelle start on a small dose of medication to help improve her concentration in the classroom?
Caregiver: Do you really think it might help her focus more? Have you seen students become more successful with this medication? I think it could be helpful in order for Noelle to be able to concentrate better and that way she will fit in more with her peers and not stand out. Maybe it’s hard for her to focus on her own right now and the medication might help her learn the habits and skills that she needs.
Teacher: We may also be able to provide some extra learning support for her in class as there is a learning support teacher who may be able to come in and work with her.
Caregiver: No, thank you. I don’t want to draw any extra attention to her. She can take the medication before school so that no one knows and then she can focus and learn more on her own. I think that’s enough, thank you.
In the scenarios above, the caretakers have different ideas about how to meet the learning needs of their children. These examples were based on the findings of a research paper from Moon (n.d), who investigated the role of cultural influences on ADHD in Korea and the United States. He discovered that the Korean parents and teachers who are influenced by Confucianism, focus more on students’ achievement and see a child’s distracted behaviour as reflection of who they are as parents and teachers and their lack of authority. Many parents and teachers in the United States, on the other hand, tend to locate the problem as a physiological issue and focus more on medical treatment. They might also be less likely to take personal responsibility for distracting behaviours and less likely to want the teacher to be strict with their child as they see the problem as outside of their child’s control.
Although these ideas are generalizations of cultural perspectives, they illustrate how individuals from different cultures can have various points of view on (dis)abilities. It is common for families to approach education professionals differently when they are told that their child has a (dis)ability.
CONNECT
- Did you notice any other differences in the two caregivers’ beliefs about what might help?
- Why might someone be accepting of medication but not of additional support?
It is important to take the following ideas into consideration when you are talking about (dis)abilities (Bryant et al., 2020):
- Not everyone shares the same understanding of a (dis)ability.
- There is no consensus on the causes of (dis)abilities.
In the introduction, we referred to the disability statistics in the Netherlands and Guinea. One explanation for the disparity in these numbers is that there is no universal understanding of (dis)abilities. Therefore, a person might be considered to have a disability in one culture but not in another (Bryant et al., 2020).
DIG DEEPER
Explore the disability statistics for different countries across the world. Scan the QR code or follow the link.
- Which numbers are surprising to you?
- Can you identify why these numbers are different than you would expect them to be?
International educators should learn and understand the (sometimes intersecting) cultural perspectives of students, parents, and other stakeholders. We also need to be aware of our own cultural perspectives and be aware that educators and parents may have different understandings of (dis)abilities as well as the causes. Speaking about (dis)abilities should be done with sensibility as there is no universal understanding of the term.
REFLECT
- Do you think it would be beneficial to have a universal document to get a global understanding of various (dis)abilities?
- Discuss/think about both benefits and disadvantages.
- How might you approach a conversation with caregivers in the case of an ADHD diagnosis?
Different cultures and sub-cultures may have a different understanding of what (dis)ability means and/or what constitutes a (dis)ability.
Belief system and teachings based on ethics and morality founded by the Chinese philosopher, Confucius (6th- 5th century BC).
