In a day of protests, social media, international communication, accessible information and critical thinking classes, students need to obtain a similar level of cultural awareness or literacy to keep up with everyone.
Cultural literacy refers to a person’s ability to understand and participate in a given culture’s signs, symbols, stories and entertainment.
The term was coined in academic circles in the 1980s as a means to define a person’s awareness of cultural references.
With the implementation of critical thinking requirements in school and political issues in the world, students need to remain well-rounded in everyday life providing them with the skills to properly articulate their ideas in everyday conversations.
Whether it be through a college or high school class or just through personal day-to-day learning, students should strive to develop a deeper understanding of the culture around them and how that affects the way they communicate with others.
This understanding does not just contribute to one’s ability to communicate effectively, but also develop deeper connections with others.
As of now, a student’s level of cultural understanding depends on their lifestyle, but developing a well-rounded basic cultural knowledge would increase their social ability in school, work and life.
If students were to apply that thinking to a more universal level of learning and communicating, we would be able to create a space where there are connections across ages and backgrounds.
Teaching students cultural literacy also would entail learning about political leaders and important events in time through a more basic and easily consumable manner.
An effective way to develop this cultural knowledge would be to intertwine students’ interests with topics taught in class, whether that be making connections between mainstream and historical events, or as examples of a concept taught in class.
In everyday life, there are circumstances in which students have to interact with people of different backgrounds, so it is important for them to understand someone culturally on a more modern and universal level.
Something like a class or prerequisite that can be obtained by students of all backgrounds and learning levels, would be an effective way to help them remain up to date in day-to-day situations and conversations.