Cultural Reciprocity in Special Education

Building Family–Professional Relationships

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

and

Beth Harry, Ph.D.
University of Miami
Florida

Contents

• I Cultural Reciprocity: Working with Families
  1. Cultural Underpinnings of Special Education
  2. Cultural Reciprocity as an Approach Toward Building Parent–Professional Relationships
  3. Legal and Epistemological Underpinnings of the Construction of Disability
  4. The Role of Professional Expertise and Language in the Treatment of Disability
  5. Professionals’ Perspectives on Parenting Styles
  6. Goal Setting for Students: Parents’ versus Professionals’ Expectations
• II Cultural Reciprocity: Applications and Variations
  7. Cultural Reciprocity as a Transformative Journey in Research and Practice
  8. Stories of Transformation: The Power of Exploring Cultural Dilemmas
  9. The Preservice Classroom as an Intercultural Space for Experiencing a Process of Cultural Reciprocity

About the Authors

Maya Kalyanpur, Ph.D.

Inclusive Education Advisor, Education Sector Support Scale Up Program (ESSSUAP) – Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
Maya Kalyanpur started her career as a teacher of children with intellectual disabilities in India in 1981. She authored books and numerous articles on special education policy and families from culturally diverse backgrounds. Since 2006, she has been a consultant in Cambodia on projects relating to inclusive education.

Beth Harry, Ph.D.

Professor, Special Education, School of Education, University of Miami.
Beth Harry, a native of Jamaica, entered the field of special education as a parent of a child with cerebral palsy. Her teaching and research focus on issues related to the intersection of disability and diversity, with a particular concern for their impact on families.

Cultural Reciprocity: Working with Families

This section presents the process of cultural reciprocity as a means to facilitate a process of introspection that ultimately results in the empowerment of professionals and families. This process allows both sides to collaborate in making informed choices.

1. Cultural Underpinnings of Special Education

Beth’s Story

On a trip to Albuquerque in the middle of winter, I experienced a disconcerting situation with the flight that required reflection on the specifics of language used in announcements. My point is that language evokes emotions that are beyond rationalization. We, the authors of this book, have felt like outsiders to the culture of special education in the United States.

Cultural Identity and the Acculturation Process

The process of cultural and psychological change follows intercultural contact. Children are raised within a cultural framework that imposes rewards and sanctions for efficient learning of group norms. The process of acculturation involves being introduced to a new system and accommodating.

BECOMING A MEMBER: THE IMPORTANCE OF EMBEDDED BELIEFS

An individual gains membership into the institution of special education through the complex of macro and microcultural frameworks. New members often learn the approved goals without specifying the cultural basis.

REIFICATION OF DISABILITY CATEGORIES

The concept of disability becomes reified, reflecting the medical model of disease transported into special education. The implications of the reification perspective's going unexamined could lead to misclassification and discrimination against certain groups.

Section II: Cultural Reciprocity: Applications and Variations

This section presents three applications of cultural reciprocity as practiced and modified by colleagues in different contexts. The process of cultural reciprocity is proposed as a way of being that will inevitably be crafted and modified to suit individual personalities as professionals provide services to diverse families.

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 their field's beliefs and values?
3. Identify any essential practices in the field and discuss whether you have learned the reasons for these practices in a critical examination.