ME and My Facets!

“Culture refers to a group or community with which we share common experiences that shape the way we understand the world. it includes groups that we are born into, such as gender, race, national origin, class or religion. It can also include groups we join or become part of”.

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 wasa 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 house work 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 afree life and craved to be one of them. I longed to be a part of the individualized 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 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”. 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 ”.

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.

?www.humanemaths.com

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