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Tobin's Preschool In Three Cultures

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Introduction:
In each of the three preschools presented in Tobin’s videos for the revisited “Preschool in Three Cultures”, cultural values were passed on to students by both teachers and administrators. Due to the cultural differences existing between China, Japan, and the United States, the roles of preschools in each community and the way the children were socialized differed. This observation can be tied back to the information presented in Chapter 2. In all three classrooms, students were engaged in structured participation, mirrored adults, and engaged in routines/play, however the lessons taught in each class differed based on the cultural ideals of the country. Like Vygotsky’s theory stated, while the guidance provided by adults …show more content…

Therefore, these values were passed along to children in their preschools. Examples of these values being passed along were the group exercise session and the completion of a craft tied to traditions of the region. I did find it interesting that China’s recent push to become a more western society was reflected in the school day, this was seen most clearly in the bathroom scene (and more specifically the comparison made to the original studies’ bathroom scene). Overall, preschool in China served to teach children that although they are each individuals, they need to work together in order to help the group as a …show more content…

Older adults are sometimes viewed as less valuable within these cultures; many stenotypes surrounding the abilities of older adults and their capabilities exist within American culture. The individualistic tendencies of American culture are then further emphasized when the person tasked with caring for an older adult are from a low socioeconomic community. In our readings, the harsh contrasts between Anglo-Americans and Latino-Americans were emphasized. Although there are cultural differences that exist within these two groups, the larger issue, I believe comes down to socioeconomic status. It was stated that >20% of Latino American elders have incomes below the poverty line, due to a combination of lower education levels, low paying jobs, and a lack of private pensions. Ultimately, this leads to further discrimination. Not only are these individuals not meeting standards set forth in an individualistic culture do to their age, but they are also viewed as falling short

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