Developing curricula that reflect understanding of the student’s culture and the problems, needs and strengths of their communities

Knowledge of the students’ culture is part of all effective teaching; sensitivity to the students’ culture is especially important when addressing real life issues that reflect community and family problems. The nature of the students’ culture provides challenges as well as opportunities in designing and presenting real life issue curricula. For example, high achieving, competitive students from affluent communities may respond to the research based strategy focusing on accurate perception of personal risk. These students need to be shown that behaviors like alcohol and substance abuse put their future achievement in jeopardy. The competitive environment and desire for status in high achieving schools foster an atmosphere which may well include social ostracism directed towards students who are considered outsiders or social “inferiors.” The real life issue curriculum provides the opportunity to challenge such behavior, explore values and encourage greater empathy.

The culture of Latino students emphasizes personal relationships and treatment of others with respect and dignity. The value of belonging and loyalty to the group—to family and peers—usually transcends the value of individual achievement. Because they function in the group, a promising research based strategy is to engage groups of Latino students in “pro-social” activity and align individual Latino students with pro-social groups. A personal, respectful style of relating is very important in successfully engaging Latino students.

Students in low income Latino and African American neighborhoods live among neighbors, family and friends who may sell and use drugs and be active in gangs. They are likely to understand the life situations and motivations of those engaged in these behaviors, be sensitive to the social inequalities that contribute significantly to these problems and want very much to see the problems curtailed. The history of oppression of African Americans has left many African-American students distrustful of the society and its institutions. Their culture values openness and truth and it is important to acknowledge the truth of racism and injustice that has adversely affected the community. The African-American community also values social movements that oppose oppression.

Among other approaches, teaching strategies that stress damage to the community - the oppressive effects - of drugs, violence and HIV/AIDS - and that attempt to engage students in community prevention may be especially effective in reaching African American students.

There is a substantial literature on U. S. cultures by race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexual orientation. Effective real life issue CI requires culturally informed and sensitive curricula and teaching.