Cultural Barriers

What are some cultural barriers prohibiting educational opportunities for  Career Technical Education, Adult Education, and Community College students?

Comments

Great question!

I can't necessarily speak to issues related to adult education, but with respect to career and technical education (CTE), one cultural issue relates to the perception that certain trades are gender specific. For example, men in nursing or women in manufacturing. Attitudes of family and friends can influence people's decisions to pursue (or not to pursue) certain types of training, as can role models, be they in the business community or instructors within the community college. Students need to see people like themselves being successful in the profession to believe that they can also make it. The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity has resources to address some of the issues that address the gender question. One other problem is the culture of the workforce. If people don't feel welcome in the field and experience harassment, subtle or overt, they are likely to leave the profession and discourage others from joining. I've seen this firsthand through the eyes of a friend who works as an electrician; he reports that women often encounter bias from some of his unenlightened colleagues, which exerts a negative effect on others joining.

Adults who lack proficiency in English language are unable to access many educational opportunities for personal advancement. So while not knowing the language of your country can serve as a barrier, the ability to speak, read, and write English can open doors to education, employment, social services, friendships, and more.  At a profound level, language skills appear to build resilience in fragile refugee populations according to Language for Resilience, a research report from the British Council. (See https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/language-for-resilience-report-en.pdf.)  Essentially, learning English not only enables folks to complete their education and get a better job, it also provides a protective factor for individuals who restart their lives in new lands. 

This topic is definitely an important one for equity in CTE and Adult Education. In addition to the barriers Steve noted regarding gender, there are a multitude of perceptions about fields of study that are influenced by culture, and can serve as barriers (or encouragements) to a particular student's access and success in those programs. The PCRN will soon host a Toolkit of resources on this topic, as part of the Advancing Equity project. You can learn more about it here: http://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/advancing-equity-in-cte 

This is a wonderful, and much needed, conversation. Thank you for starting it. While we look at cultural barriers, I would also like to include a discussion about the responsibility of a teacher in CTE and community colleges to demonstrate cultural competence. Is it the role of the student to overcome cultural barriers or do we need to be more inclusive in our understanding of various cultures? Perhaps identifying cultural barriers as a reason for students not being successful places responsiblity solely on the student, indicating the student needs to make adjustments to how they approach learning, CTE, and workplace success. An added question might be, "How well do we teach students different from our own cultures and expectations?" There's a great toolkit for diversity and cultural competency. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the role of the educator. 

Respectfully, 

Kathy Tracey
@Kathy_Tracey

I recently saw this story on how a CTE program was developed for a Navajo community to meet the community's educational and vocational needs while being culturally congruent. I'm curious to know more about the prevalence and effectiveness of similar models.

Short video here: https://leaders.edweek.org/profile/clyde-mcbride-director-career-and-technical-education/?cmp=eml-eb-ltlf-20170131

Hi, Calonie -

Thank you for bringing Clyde to this group's attention.  I read another piece on his work and also found it inspiring to see a program that addresses a communities' economic needs, while also honoring its cultural traditions.  I hope that there are many other examples of this type of program, and that they just may not have received this kind of press coverage.   I am going to share your request with the Career Pathways community as well, in the interest of learning more about them.  I'll be sure to report back any other programs that members share.

Best,

Mike Cruse

Career Pathways Moderator

michaelcruse74@gmail.com