November 4, 2014 - 08:18
This article made me consider especially how not only international students, but students of different SES backgrounds have different access and different conceptions of culture. The world of academia seems to, whether overtly or not, promote a singular kind of culture.
How do we teach students to recognize and be interested in the different kinds of culture that exist within our divided, diverse community? Are there academic ways to bridge the gaps presented by socio-economic cultural differences in providing opportunities for students to interact with others with different backgrounds?
Can we provide more opportunities in the academic space to question the socioeconomic implications of the canon and how those expectations of knowledge might divide our community?
I love the idea of small, informal group discussions. Why are spaces like these not already integrated into Customs Week and other first-year activities to provide people with opportunities to interact with others from different origins? It would be difficult to conduct in class (I CERTAINLY don't think that group projects inhabit this space). Further, why isn't this piece widely publicized, as well as the piece on mental health at Bryn Mawr and the problematic history of Bryn Mawr?
Are there ways to include an academic background survey that ensures that students don't feel unprepared if they aren't familiar wih as many concepts as they feel they should be? Bryn Mawr has very high standards as is that are difficult to break.