Cultural Reciprocity in Special Education

Building Family–Professional Relationships

Authors

Maya Kalyanpur, Ph.D.
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Beth Harry, Ph.D.
University of Miami
Florida

Table of Contents

1. Cultural Reciprocity: Working with Families
   1.1 Cultural Underpinnings of Special Education
   1.2 Cultural Reciprocity as an Approach Toward Building Parent–Professional Relationships
   1.3 Legal and Epistemological Underpinnings of the Construction of Disability
   1.4 The Role of Professional Expertise and Language in the Treatment of Disability
   1.5 Professionals’ Perspectives on Parenting Styles
   1.6 Goal Setting for Students: Parents’ versus Professionals’ Expectations
2. Cultural Reciprocity: Applications and Variations
   2.1 Cultural Reciprocity as a Transformative Journey in Research and Practice
   2.2 Stories of Transformation: The Power of Exploring Cultural Dilemmas
   2.3 The Preservice Classroom as an Intercultural Space for Experiencing a Process of Cultural Reciprocity

Cultural Reciprocity: Working with Families

In this section, we present the process of cultural reciprocity as a means to facilitate a process of introspection that ultimately results in the empowerment of professionals and families alike by gaining a better understanding of each other’s cultural values. This process allows both sides to collaborate in making informed choices or decisions. We do this by examining taken-for-granted assumptions in the legal and epistemological underpinnings of definitions of disability and in the way in which professional expertise and language are conceptualized.

Chapter 1: Cultural Underpinnings of Special Education

Beth’s Story
On a trip to Albuquerque in the middle of winter, I had the disconcerting experience of boarding a plane at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport and, within minutes, being asked to deplane.

In much the same way that the language of airplanes was “foreign” to Beth in this story, we, the authors of this book, have felt like outsiders to the culture of special education in the United States.

The process of cultural and psychological change that follows intercultural contact is significant in understanding how education systems operate within varying cultural contexts.

Special Education as a Cultural Institution

What does it mean, then, to say that an individual shares membership in the culture of special education? We begin by viewing the special education system as a subsystem within the larger social institution of education, which is organized to satisfy important social and human needs.

Embedded Beliefs in Special Education

How does an individual gain membership into the institution of special education? First, each individual brings their own complex of macro and microcultural frameworks and the belief systems that they espouse. The belief systems that underpin special education can often be tacitly learned and internalized.

The Reification Perspective

An embedded belief that has received considerable attention is the way that the concept of disability becomes reified—made into a “thing” that an individual possesses. The reification perspective is particularly controversial regarding specific learning disabilities (SLD).

Culturally Variable Parameters of Normalcy

The criteria for determining disability in the United States reflect a narrower view of normalcy than in other cultures. Different cultures have varying benchmarks for what constitutes normal development and learning.

Review Questions

1. Beyond the four main values of individualism, independence, choice, and equity identified in the chapter, are there other core values of the mainstream culture that you can identify?
2. What do you think of the chapter’s assertion that most professional training programs present technical information as universal truths? Should professionals question the beliefs and values of their field?
3. Identify essential practices in the field. Discuss whether you have learned about the reasons for these practices and develop questions that could help you understand them more fully.