%0 Thesis %1 moussally_cultural_1992 %A Moussally, Edmond John %C Boston, MA %D 1992 %K ANTHROPOLOGY, CULTURAL, EDUCATION, INTERCULTURAL TEACHER TRAINING, %T A cultural portrait of preservice teachers: Undergraduate teacher education at a northeastern United States, private, urban university %X This study focused on a group of preservice teachers in order to examine their cultural awareness and cross-cultural sensitivity through the prism of their personal histories and experiences in the urban prepracticum course. The study ascertained how a teacher-training institution prepares its graduates to teach effectively in the multicultural classrooms of the cities of the U.S. The methodology of the study, the Cultural Portrait, was a genre of ethnographic research employed by Sara Lawrence Lightfoot (1984). Personal interviews with the students were conducted designed to elicit information around themes and cross-cultural incidents relating to: (1) Family and community background; (2) Teachers and schooling experiences; (3) Relationships; and (4) Cross-cultural experiences and related attitudes. Seven of the students who were interviewed were chosen as case studies. The Cultural Portrait was constructed from data which was woven into five themes of: (1) Formative influences; (2) Cross-cultural experiences; (3) Teaching and learning; (4) Career education; and (5) Observations of students in the performance of the course. The subjects' ethnocentrism was manifested through their cultural values of American Individualism which were expressed in the belief that: (1) the individual has the freedom to develop to the fullest which leads to a devotion to self interest; and (2) to achieve success through "hard work and a good education." The subjects' cultural values were a "barrier" to their developing cross-cultural sensitivity. A tempering of these cultural values was dependent on whether their cross-cultural experiences were personally threatening or pleasing. Personally pleasing experiences were likely to result in the tempering of the subjects' cultural values thus leading to their developing greater cross-cultural sensitivity. Conversely, a threatening or unpleasant experience may intensify the subjects' cultural values, thus increasing their cross-cultural insensitivity. Indicators of the subjects' development of cross-cultural sensitivity were described, e.g. referring to culturally different people and themselves as "We" rather than Üs and Them." Within the time frame of the data of the course, students had acquired only the awareness of the need to become cross-culturally sensitive.

@phdthesis{moussally_cultural_1992, abstract = {This study focused on a group of preservice teachers in order to examine their cultural awareness and cross-cultural sensitivity through the prism of their personal histories and experiences in the urban prepracticum course. The study ascertained how a teacher-training institution prepares its graduates to teach effectively in the multicultural classrooms of the cities of the U.S. The methodology of the study, the Cultural Portrait, was a genre of ethnographic research employed by Sara Lawrence Lightfoot (1984). Personal interviews with the students were conducted designed to elicit information around themes and cross-cultural incidents relating to: (1) Family and community background; (2) Teachers and schooling experiences; (3) Relationships; and (4) Cross-cultural experiences and related attitudes. Seven of the students who were interviewed were chosen as case studies. The Cultural Portrait was constructed from data which was woven into five themes of: (1) Formative influences; (2) Cross-cultural experiences; (3) Teaching and learning; (4) Career education; and (5) Observations of students in the performance of the course. The subjects' ethnocentrism was manifested through their cultural values of American Individualism which were expressed in the belief that: (1) the individual has the freedom to develop to the fullest which leads to a devotion to self interest; and (2) to achieve success through "hard work and a good education." The subjects' cultural values were a "barrier" to their developing cross-cultural sensitivity. A tempering of these cultural values was dependent on whether their cross-cultural experiences were personally threatening or pleasing. Personally pleasing experiences were likely to result in the tempering of the subjects' cultural values thus leading to their developing greater cross-cultural sensitivity. Conversely, a threatening or unpleasant experience may intensify the subjects' cultural values, thus increasing their cross-cultural insensitivity. Indicators of the subjects' development of cross-cultural sensitivity were described, e.g. referring to culturally different people and themselves as "We" rather than "Us and Them." Within the time frame of the data of the course, students had acquired only the awareness of the need to become cross-culturally sensitive.}, added-at = {2018-06-19T15:18:45.000+0200}, address = {Boston, MA}, author = {Moussally, Edmond John}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/22917234743f660567da5767544fe700e/prophe}, interhash = {0e39110f68b97152c260380b72213ddb}, intrahash = {2917234743f660567da5767544fe700e}, keywords = {ANTHROPOLOGY, CULTURAL, EDUCATION, INTERCULTURAL TEACHER TRAINING,}, school = {Boston University}, shorttitle = {A cultural portrait of preservice teachers: {Undergraduate} teacher education at a northeastern {United} {States}, private, urban university}, timestamp = {2018-06-19T15:18:45.000+0200}, title = {A cultural portrait of preservice teachers: {Undergraduate} teacher education at a northeastern {United} {States}, private, urban university}, type = {Doctoral {Dissertation}}, year = 1992 }