Welcoming Families from around the World:
Zimbabwe
To
prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family, I will learn a
few words especially family words, food words, and words about taking care of
necessities in the language of the family. Before this, I will have to ask the
family which language or languages of Zimbabwe the family speaks. I will also
ask the family what type of schooling the child has received, and I will want
to know any special skills the child has learned in helping out with family
chores. I will also ask who I should call first when there are questions or
conflicts, so as not to override the authority in the family. Finally, I will
research some things about the culture of Zimbabwe. Below, I have shared some
things I learned.
These
questions will benefit the family by helping them know that I don’t expect them
to have my culture, but I also don’t expect that by reading about Zimbabwe, I
will know about their particular family culture and system. I will benefit by
knowing what knowledge the child might like to share and what knowledge might
be helful to the child. I might also like to ask if they could share cultural
items or skills with the class. This would also benefit both the family and the
class.
Children are
usually surrounded by relatives from the time they are born, and they are
expected to earn to cooperate. Girls start helping in the family domestic work
when they are about seven, and boys learn to herd livestock at about the same
age in areas where herding is done. In every area, children are expected to
help with one form of work or another. Children are not supervised while on
their way to school or while playing with friends. In this way, children are
expected to learn to take care of themselves.
There are two
major languages spoken by the indigenous people of Zimbabwe. Most of the
indigenous people speak Shona, but more than ten percent speak Ndebele.
Sixty-two percent of people in Zimbabwe are Christian, but the people also mix
in some of their more traditional beliefs with Christianity. Ancestral worship
(Amadlozi) is also practiced widely in Zimbabwe. There is a very high literacy
rate in Zimbabwe.
Shona is a tonal language with two tones: high and low. These are not
indicated in writing.
Here is a link to someone speaking in Shona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtXr7bckLyc&list=UUBgWgQyEb5eTzvh4lLcuipQ
The meat of one's clan totem was traditionally avoided; even today
animals representing totems are rarely eaten. Read more:
Shona, Ndebele, Shangaan, and Venda are patrilineal societies in which
descent is through the male line and after marriage a women moves into her
husband's home. The Tonga people are matrilineal, and the husband moves to the
home area of his wife. Customary marriages are rarely desolved by divorce, and
it is possible in a customary marriage that a husband would take more than one
wife. Households usually include extended family. Authority is vested in men,
and wisdom is vested in age.
Traditional and modern medicines are used, and a distinction is made
between minor ailments and serious illnesses. This is done partly because of
the belief that illness may have been inflicted by angry spirits (justifiably
or through witchcraft).
Hello Liz,
ReplyDeleteI loved your post because it demonstrated how much time and effort you would instill to ensure that the child and their family feels safe, loved and respected as well as welcomed. your post provided a detailed account on how informed you as an educator would tend to be if you had to participate in this experience.
Yes Tammy,
ReplyDeleteThanks! I also think that it would be fun for me to learn all about people from Zimbabwe from the new family just as I had fun doing the assignment. I have always enjoyed learning about culture. Perhaps this is because my first memory of my father was when he came home from traveling around the world with the crew of an oil tanker. He also brought home gifts. My dad also was interested in learning other languages, and he had records to learn Spanish. We lived in Southern California. When I was seven, I would work with those records, and I would also go to the language section of the library to look for books like "Fun with French." I have two siblings who are fluent in Spanish. My dad was a big influence in our life. As a nanny, I have mostly worked with families from India. I partially enjoy this because I have the opportunity to learn about another culture.
Thanks for your response!
Liz Thomas
Elizabeth, I enjoyed reading your post believe the first step in seeking to understand anyone is getting the opportunity to get to know their concerns, languages, likes, dislikes, prior to molding them to be complete within their new environment. This act helps people in developing into a whole person within themselves. I believe that is important to learn other languages to break down languages and communication barriers.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I really enjoyed reading your post. You were so detailed in information you would gather as an educator it inspires other to step up in the research needed. I feel language is a large tool for educator to welcome new students, especially from other cultures and different languages.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteIt was great reading about Zimbabwe. I have never met anyone from there so you opened my eyes to their culture. The children appear to be strong physically probably much more stronger than our children here in America. Great post!