World View to other Cultures
The group I was born into
As an
Indian woman of a Hindu origin, I am tailored by a combination of the cultural
group that I was born into and the group that I moved to. They seemed
incongruous. A world view can be “…a personal-subjective endeavour or a
communal-collective enterprise…” (Abi-Hashem, 2014).
I was born with an individual
tendency into a very highly collectivist culture. This was a traditional set up
where a girl was considered as someone who will ‘get married and join another
family’. Hence my upbringing was focused on being a good wife as a goal. My
mother pushed me to bend to circumstances, develop housework skills, study and
be self-sufficient. The skills were practical. The focus, however, was to be a
‘good wife and daughter in law’.
My school was one of those where
things run mechanically. No one was there to challenge any existing
presumption. When I looked out at India, I found nothing to feel happy about.
Looking at the women in the west through media and books, I felt these were
individuals who lived a free life and craved to be one of them. I longed to be
a part of the individualised culture coloured by the western values.
The values from the family were very
universal, such as hard work, sincerity and collectivism. However, my point of
deflection was their approach to other cultures. The global mind-set was
missing. Ranker (2018) defines global mind-set as “It is the ability to step
out of one’s base culture and to understand that there is no universally
correct way to do things”. It was a closed mind-set that I encountered in my
society. Questioning of the value system was completely discouraged and one was
expected to toe the line. This is something that never ‘felt right’ to me and I
coped with it by rebelling. I argued, fought and also tried (unsuccessfully) to
kill myself twice. The mind-set I developed was that ‘no one cares’. I wondered
if life had a purpose.
The group I moved to
The first change in my life came with
the discovery of progressive education as practiced in Sri Aurobindo ashram schools
(SAA, n.d.) in New Delhi. This was an explosion of new energy and answers to
all my questions about education and life. I found a solace in the teachings of
Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and a safe space to discover my immense creativity
as an educator in their schools.
This
was a phase of working with Indian progressive schools, with a spiritual leader
as a base, where the focus was on development of the key skills of life in the
students, along with academics. These were schools that placed a high value on developing
“experiential, learner-centred, and
inquiry-oriented learning and teaching practices…a critical perspective…and
self-reflection in the learning process”, (Evans,
Montemurro, Gambhir, & Broad, Eds., 2014). I loved them as they resonated
with me.
This is also where I came in touch with several individuals who
had turned back from the rat race of corporate life into the peace of working
with students and explore their sense of self by being spiritual practitioners.
Being with these individuals cultivated a sense of peace in my being, an
approach of following my heart and most importantly a ‘non rat race’ value
system. I looked at the world as a place to learn and grow.
The second change came for me with my entry into the
IB school circuit in India. This was an intellectual explosion for I came in
touch with the global educators and philosophies. Professionally, this is where
I found the fruition of the goal of all teaching practices as “Embracing
learner diversity in diverse contexts” (Evans, Montemurro, Gambhir, & Broad, Eds., 2014) or
inclusive education.
My exploration of spirituality too took a different dimension as
I interacted with practitioners from all countries through online and offline
programs. I discovered in them a respect for the Indian spiritual past heritage.
Looking through their eyes I discovered a side of India that had eluded me so
far. My relationship with India was renewed and deepened.
Being with the global community and their approach to
collaboration, I discovered the collectivist approach that I rebelled against
in my society is a true base for being with any community, be it family, a
boarding school or work in an office. I discovered the global colours of the traditional
mind-set that I had rejected as a teenager and accepted them in a new way. I
have developed the ability to step out of my culture as an exploration, but
without a right-wrong way of thinking. “There is no universally correct way to do
things”, (Ranker, 2018).
Present Time
Today I understand a global mind-set as an approach that can
embrace diversity in diverse contexts! This goal has given a meaning to my life
as I see it as a thread starting family and ending with international
community. I am grounded in the best of my own culture and open to learning
from others.
Conclusion
“The scope and nature of
worldviews can be generic or specific, reflecting a global perspective or local
heritage”, (Abi-Hashem, 2014). One needs to be a life-long learner to proceed
from local to global.
References
Abi-Hashem N. (2014) Worldview. In:
Leeming D.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Boston,
MA
Axner, M. (n.d.). Building Relationships with People from
Different Cultures. Retrieved from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/building-relationships/main
Evans,
M., Montemurro, D., Gambhir, M., & Broad, K. (Eds.). (2014). Inquiry
into Practice: Learning and Teaching Global Matters in Local
Classrooms. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the
University of Toronto (OISE). Retrieved from: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/oise/UserFiles/File/TEACHING_GLOBAL_MATTERS_FINAL_ONLINE.pdf
Ranker, G. (2018,
April 6). Global Mindset Definition: what it really means? Retrieved from https://www.garyranker.com/global-mindset/global-mindset-leadership-what-it-really-means/
SAA. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://sriaurobindoashram.net/
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