Conference Proceedings 2010 [pdf] - Art & Design Symposium ...

Diverse Objects and Cultures
Objects and cultures are blended together; objects are about people; people use and live with objects and
culture, and culture is embedded in people’s usage of objects. My students followed one of two routes to find
an ethnic object appropriate for study. They either identified an individual or group of people and asked about
their cultural objects, or they located an object and then looked for people for interviews. Examples of objects
and related ethnic culture that my students addressed in their studies include a Daruma doll from Japan,
Chinese chopsticks, Ukrainian Easter Eggs (Pysanky), Salwar kameez in South Asia, a Hijab worn by Muslim
women, Ultraman (a Japanese toy), wayang kulit puppets for a Malaysian puppet show, a travel bag from
Niger in Africa, a Tibetan prayer flag, a traje (Mayan traditional dress), a Burmese teak wood carving of
Ganesha, a Hindu elephant-faced deity, a Henna tattoo (an ancient Indian body art), and the jingle dress of the
Ojibwe Nation. Students noticed from these examples available in the community that we have often neglected
the ubiquitous art and cultural objects found in our community. They also learned to see the value of them by
studying and taking a closer look at the objects. In so doing, they found that they can serve as excellent
resources to teach about people of other cultural origins.
What Students Learn from Intercultural Interaction
Participating in the project, students learned not only about the ethnic objects themselves, but also gained a
deeper understanding of people from other cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Through their intercultural
interaction mediated by objects, they learned the value of studying a culture in depth (Garber, 1995) and also
realized the educational significance of meeting ethnically and culturally diverse people. Students shared what
they learned, working with people. Here I summarize some of their learning outcomes: they overcame their
initial psychological fears, learned how to self-correct any misunderstandings or ignorance concerning the
studied people and their culture, gained an awareness of the role the generational gap has played in placing
value on their ethnic culture, and ultimately came to a realization of the abundant cultural resources available
to them as future educators.
First of all, this project provides an opportunity to overcome the psychological anxiety or fear of meeting people
of another ethnic group, and the fear of asking about their culture and identity. Anxiety toward members of
other ethnic or racial groups might develop from the lack of positive intergroup interaction or negative
expectations that might discourage relationships from developing with people of other races and ethnic
backgrounds (Plant & Devine, 2003; W. Stephan & C. Stephan, 1985). Many students shared similar
experiences of anxiety and fear before meeting their interviewees during class discussion. Some expressed
that, at first, it was not comfortable to ask questions about identity and ethnicity because they were fearful of
bringing up inappropriate issues in everyday conversation. One student shared that learning to ask about
people’s religion and cultural experience is not wrong, and generally does not make people uncomfortable. In
fact, many people are very open and want to share their stories. Another student shared the joy of developing
relationships with those of other racial backgrounds. She testified that knowing a person for about a year was
very superficial if you knew nothing about his/her cultural identity and background. This project helped her to
come to know a person in depth because she actually raised questions about identity and culture. The
interview opportunity helped some students gain an intimate understanding of various aspects of the
individuals who were studied. Even though this outcome was not common to all situations, the students
learned that just asking is a good strategy if you want to really learn about a person or culture.
Second, students were involved in self-corrective learning, becoming aware of their own misunderstandings
and prejudices towards some ethnic groups and cultures. This is what I have strived to make them realize and
is one of the main goals of my class. When invited to meet a member, or members, of another ethnic group,
students see that individuals and the people they studied showed a lot of common characteristics and faced
similar issues to those they encountered in their own lives, such as working hard to earn college credits and a
diploma, paying bills, fighting against the lack of sleep, making a dream or vision come to life, or pursuing
something they truly enjoy. The project served as a building block to establishing a rapport and pursuing a
more intimate relationship.
Some students realized, through their personal discussions and interviews, that minority group members suffer
or are subject to discrimination and racial profanity due to their race and ethnicity. Students heard several
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