HERCOR COLLEGE

Km. 1 Lawaan, Roxas City, Capiz

5800

Department: College of Education Course Code: EDUC202

Name of Instructor: Richele B. Dorado Schedule: __________
Course Descriptive Title: Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum Learning Module
Semester: 2nd Sem

Name of Student: ________________________________ ________ Course Code:_____________________

Name of Instructor:_______________________________________ Schedule:________________________
Course Descriptive Title: ___________________________________ Contact no.:________________________

Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum Learning Module

Course Description:
By the design of the course, we already imply strong connections of media to society, specifically to its power
structures – from media institutions, to big businesses, and even political blocks.

 Module Release:
 Submission of Evaluation Task: WEEK 3-4

INTRODUCTION

This week, you will study and explore globalization and its implications
on both the national and individual level. The concept of globalization has
largely been through an economic lens, it is tempting to limit globalization
as something that concerns economists and businessmen. Also, you will
encounter cultural and multicultural literacy in the Philippines and one’s
personal level of cultural and multicultural literacy.

Along with these concepts, you will encounter activities that will gauge
and evaluate your learning and comprehension regarding the subject
matter. Materials for your references are also available and attached in
this module. For this week, you are expected to gear yourself with the
basic understanding of the course in preparation for a larger scope of
commitment to learn Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across the
Curriculum course.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Explain the implications of globalization on both national and individual level.

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 2. Develop understanding about cultural and multicultural literacy in the Philippines
3. Share one’s personal level of cultural and multicultural literacy.

DISCUSSION (Chapter 2: Globalization and Cultural and Multicultural Literacies)

Globalization is the process of interaction and integration between people, business entities, governments, and
cultures from other nations, driven by international trade and investment and supported by information technology
(Levin Institute, 2017).

Illustration

To better illustrate globalization, consider two people from different countries, for example, the
Philippines and South Korea. Let us say they meet in college and become good friends, so that the Korean
comes to be treated like a member of the Filipino’s family. After some time, the Korean returns to her own
country, but something has changed – she notices an aspect of her culture so that she finds herself wishing
to be more Filipino. She knows very that she cannot change Korean culture as a whole, so she decides to just
change herself. She does not change everything, of course – just a little thing here and there; she is still
obviously Korean, but she just does a few things differently from those who habe never been to the
Philippines.

Now suppose a little more time pases and the Korean is very happy with the changes she has made
to her life that makes it just a little more Filipino. Lest us say some of her colleagues notice how she does
some things differently and they become curious, so she tells about her experiences in the Philippines and
how that in some ways, she wishes to do things the way the Filipinos do. Her colleagues decide to give it a
try, and they find that they like this different way of doing things, too.

Globalization as a phenomenom is not new. Nations and cultues have been interacting and integrating with one
another for millennia. What is different now, however, is the speed at which globalization is happening, its overall scope,
and its effects on the lives of ordinary people. Not only are we interacting with, learning from, and integrating
knowledge gleaned from other cultures and nations at an unprecedented rate, there is now also a sense that no matter
where one lives or how limited is one’s face-to-face interaction with members of another nation or culture and how
limited one’s time is spent online, globalization and its effects are inescapable. Even remote villages will be expoed to
the latest KPOP hit, if they have access to a radio. If they produce a rice, they will also feel the effects of more affordable
rice imports from Thailand and Vietnam. If they have access to a kerosene stove, they will feel the effects of the
fluctuations in oil prices originating from Aram nations. All these things take place without having to know anyone from
or anything about Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, or the Middle East.

The Effects of Globalization

The effects of globalization are multi-dimensional. As shown earlier, they range from economic to cultural, on
both national and individual levels.

Meyer (2000) summarizes the globalization as follows:

 Economic, political, and military dependence and interdependence between nations;
 Expanded flow of individual people among societies;
 Interdependence of expressive culture among nations; and

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  Expanded flow of instrumental culture around the world.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/154740937178388642/

 Economic Dependence/Interdependence

When the term globalization entered the Philippine public mindset in the ealr 90s, it was popularly understood
to be a mainly economic phenomenon, and a negative one at that. The idea that foreign-owned businesses could come
into the country and freely set-up shop,” thereby choking-out local industries was not a welcome thought it was
erroneous.

While Philippine society has come to realize that this early perspective represented a shallow understanding of
globalization, the fact of the matter is that globalization has brought economic development to our society as a whole.
By attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), new technologies, employment opportunities, and money have come into
the country. The phenomenon of a taxi driver owning multiple smartphones to browse social media while stuck in traffic
because of the rise of the number of vehicles on our roads is testament to this fact.

This does not mean, however, that there have been no negative effects of globalization. Kentor (2001) notes
that foreign capital dependence increases income inequality in four ways: (1) it creates a small, highly paid class of elites
to manage these investments, who create many but usually low-pay jobs; (2) profits from these investments are
repatriated, rather than invested in the host country, therefore inhibiting domestic capital formation; (3) foreign capital
penetration tends to concentrate land ownership among the very rich; and 94) host countires tend to create political
and economic cmilates favourable to foreign capital that in turn limit domestic labor’s ability to obtain better wages. In
simple words, “the rich become richer, and the poor become poorer.”

Hout (1980) observes that international dependence (another word for globalization) tends to suppress adult
wages, which in turn perpetuates the role of children as economic necessities (the familiar saying “Kapag maraming
anak, maraming katulong sa hanapbuhay,” leading to explosive population growth.

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 In a chain reaction of negative effects, this explosive population growth creates a large sub-sector of society that
is insulated from economic development yet competes for resources with the rest of the opulation. Coupled with the
economic inequlaities in which this society is couched, this encourages political instability, resulting in policies that
favour the redistribution of income, which in turn discourages investment, which then slows economic growth.

 Political and Military Dependence/Interdependence

A survey conducted in late 2018 found that three in five Filipinos believe that the United States would
intervence on behalf of the country in case of war 9Viray, 2018). Despite the current very conservative stance of the US
on its foreign policies, this can be taken as evidence of the Philippines’ dependence on both the political ad military
power of the US in order to maintain its sovereignty as a nation-sate in the Southeast Asia region. Similar things can be
said of Russia and the many communist nations throughout the world.

The point is that where there are some forms of economic dependence/interdependence, political
dependence/interpendence is not far behind, as the participating nations strive to protect their investments and
interests in one another.

 Expanded Flow of Expressive and Instrumental Culture

Expressive culture, as the term suggests, deals with how a particular culture expresses itself in its language,
music, arts, and the like. Globalization encourages the monetization of these cultural artifacts and their import/export
among participating cultures; the increased consumption of which changes the consuming culture. Case in point, KPOP
music and culture was a relatively niche occupation ten years ago, with very few people aware of its existence, let alone
actual fans. Today it s practically ubiquitous in Philippine society, alongside the consumption of all things Korean, form
skin-care products to instant noodles.

Instrumental culture, on the other hand, refers to “common models of social order” (Meyer, 2000) – that is,
models or ways of thinking about and enacting national identity, nation-state policies both domestic and foreign, socio-
economic development, human rights, education, and social progress. A simple example of this is the Philippine
educational system, education leaders in the countries, perceiving them to be the global leaders in the field. While this
has served us to an arguable satisfactory degree thus far, it is interesting to observe that the problems and difficulties in
American education eventually show-up in Philippine education, albeit five to ten years removed.

 Expanded Flow of People among Societies

The fact that globalization encourages the movement of people between nation-states should come as no
surprise to us. The Philippine Stattistcs Authority (PSA) estimates that there were 2.3 million Overseas Workers (OFWs)
during the period of April to September 2017, who were responsible for up to 205.2 billion pesos in remittances
(Philippine Statistics Authority, 2018).

Meyer (2000) observes three reasons for this: socio-economic migration, political expulsion, and travel/tourism.

Socio-economic migration explains the Philippines’ OFW phenomenon. Filipinos travel abroad to find better
economic opportunities for themselves and their families for lack of said opportunities here.

Political expulsion, on the other hand, has more to do with trying to esape the political climate of a particular
country, thereby forcing an individual to seek asylum (and ultimately, resettlement) in another more favourable country.
Travel for the sake of leisure (i.e., torism) is a strong indicator of economic development as more and more Filipinos are
able to finance short-term travels abroad, fuelled by curiosity that is fed by social media and enabled by globalization.

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Cultural Literacy

Cultural Literacy is a term coined by Hirsch (1983), referring to

the ability to understand the signs and symbols of a given culture and
being able to participate in its activities and customs as opposed to
simply being a passive (and outside) observer. The signs and symbols
of a culture include both its formal and informal languages, its idioms
and forms of expression, entertainment, values, customs, roles,
traditions, and the like – most of which are assumed and unstated.
Thus, they are learned by being part of the culture, rather than by any
formal means.

To illustrate this, consider the following statement: “The

classroom was in absolute bedlam.” Without any sort of background,
the reader is forced to guess the meaning of the word “bedlam” from
its context within the sentence. As it turns out, “bedlam” refers to a scene of uproar, confusion, and chaos. The term is
British in origin, referring to a psychiatric hospital in London by the name of St. Mary Betlehem that was once
representative of the worst excesses of insane asylums during the 14th century and “bedlam” is a corruption of the word
“Betlehem” in the name. While it is one thing to know that meaning of the word. Note that it is knowledge of its cultural
origins that better enables a person to both appreciate and participate in conversations and activities.

Of course, by its very definition, cultural literacy is culture-specific, but it is not limited to national cultures,
contrary to what many people assume. The culture of one workplace can be very different from another, just as the
culture of a particular school can differ widely from another school nearby.

There are far too many cultures for any one person to be literate in all of them. As more and more Filipinos
travel – both domestically and abroad – as develop new cultural literacies comes to the fore.

 Cultural Literacy in the Philippines

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA) is the government body tasked w3ith the
documentation, preservation, and dissemination of Philippine culture, both locally and abroad. Part of how the NCAA is
addressing this and related matters is through the establishment of the Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP),
which “envisions a nation of culturally literate and empowered Filipinos” (NCAA, 2015). Designed to make cultural
education accessible to all sectors of Philippine society, the PCEP held national consultative meeting, conferences,
workshops, art camps, and festivals on culture-based teaching and good governance from 2003 to 2007. As a result of
Republic Act 10066 (2010), PCEP has been designated as the body, together with the Department of Education (DepEd),
tasked to “formulate the cultural heritage education programs both for local and overseas Filipinos” that are to be an
integral part of Philippine education in all its aspects.

Cultural education – and thus cultural literacy – in the Philippines is quite a challenge, given that Philippine
culture is a complex blend of many indigenous and colonial cultures and varies widely across regions, and the average
citizen is almost as ignorant of other Philippine cultures as foreigners are. To point out, consider the question, “What
makes something or someone ‘Filipino’?”

 Challenges for Cultural Literacy in the Philippines

As Applebee (1987) observes, interesting discussions on cultural literacy give rise to some very difficult
questions which are particularly important to a multicultural and multilingual nation like the Philippines.

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  What kinds of knowledge constitute cultural literacy? Is it knowing facts, names, and dates, or is it something
more experiential like being familiar with a story or a particular song?
 If culture is more “caught than taught,” should cultural literacy be one of the goals of education? If yes, how
does one teach it?

The skills and knowledge required for one to be multi-culturally literate are not mere language skills, since it is
assumed that some medium of communication already exists between two cultures. Rather, true multicultural literary
consist of perspectives, attitudes, and beliefs about other cultures that affect the manner in which we communicate and
the motives behind our communication. Here are some examples:

1. Be selfless – an attitude o selflessness – one that is less concerned with how I feel and more concerned with
how I am making others feel – is crucial to multicultural literacy, as so much of the offense and conflict
associated with the meeting of different cultures is the result of a “me first” attitude: I should be accommodated,
you should be the one to adjust to me, I should feel comfortable with you before I make efforts to make you feel
comfortable, etc. Such selflessness is not instinctive to people, and is especially difficult when one feels insecure
of oneself and identity.

2. Know that good and useful things can (and do) come from those different from us – hand-in-hand with a
dismissive attitude toward another culture is the idea that nothing good can come from them. Furthermore,
there is a tendency to ignore or outright dismiss evidence to the contrary. Simply acknowledging that good ideas
and products have come from cultures we might not like goes a long way in preparing our minds to perceive
them as being equally valuable.

3. Be willing to compromise – any significant interaction with someone from a different culture is governed by the
principle of “He/She wants something, and I want something.” In other words, cultures do not interact out of
pure magnamity. If both of you are willing to give the other what they want, well and good. But what happens
when one or both are unwilling to give what the other wants? There must be a compromise: a reciprocal
adjustments of demands and expectations to accommodate what the other party is willing to give.

4. Accept that there are limits – at some point however, one or both cultures will be unwillingly/unable to adjust
their wants for the sake of the other any further. Beyond this point, the productivity of the interaction drops and
one must either change the purpose of the interaction or walk away, accepting that what you cannot be had
from that you refuse to do the same) only results in misunderstanding, hurt, and conflict. The sooner we accept
this, the sooner we can set realistic expectations of one another.

Issues in Teaching and Learning Multicultural Literacy in the Philippines

A number of important issues stand in the way of Philippine educators attempting to learn multicultural literacy
for themselves and teach it in turn to others, which are different from what can be found in Western literature,
particularly those of the United States.

 Conflicting Requirements for Peace

When all is said and done, the heart of multicultural literacy is peace among different cultures – that is,
productive and non-violent interaction. It is easy to assume that all cultures value peace to the same degree and are
therefore willing to make the same compromises in order to attain it, but this is not necessarily true.

On a more personal, immediate front, I am reminded of an activity a fellow teacher conducted in her class
where she asked her students to write down how they defined “peace.” One students revealingly wrote: “Peace is when
I get what I want.”

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  Nationalistic and Regionalistic Pushback

The increasing demand for multicultural sensitivity, inclusion, and diversity in the recent years has also given rise
to resistance from groups who believe that their identity is being “watered-down” by needed compromises.
Case in point is the very recent proposal of “Ortograpiya to Pagsasao nga Ilokano” by officials of the Komisyon
ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) in October of 2018. The proposal was met with intense backlash from group of Ilokano writers
and language advocates over the “incompetence in preparing the Ilokano orthography writers and experts,” claiming
that the proposed orthography was based on Tagalog and not Ilokano and that the commission’s attempts to compel
the regional language to conform the standards of the Ortograpiyang Pambansa (National Orthography) would “destroy
the identity of the Ilokano language” (Dumlao, 2018).

 The Persistence of the Problem

On the surface, multicultural literacy might seem to just be a matter of “good common sense,” and
understandably so, no one actively desires to experience discrimination regarding what they know and what they can
and cannot do simply on the basis of race, ethnicity, or in the case of the Philippines, region of origin. It therefore makes
perfect sense to collectively refrain from such behaviour under the assumption that “if you don’t do it to me, I won’t do
it to you.” And yet, to our horror shame, the practice persists. Worse, we sometimes find ourselves participating in and
justifying such discriminatory behaviour – if only online and not in real life (as if anything written or posted online is not,
in fact, in real life).

Therefore, the primary issue that educators face in teaching multicultural literacy to their students and learning
it for themselves is, “Why does this problem persist?” or to put it in another way, “Despite all out advances in science,
technology, and culture, why is this still a problem today?”

Boutte (2008) suggests that issues of discrimination in all its froms (racial, religious, tribal, cultural , etc.) are
really issues of hatred, which she defines in an educational setting as “the lack of compassion and lack of respect for the
rights of others,” and that such hatred must be fought and its roots must be attacked, because for as ong as hatred
exists in the human mind, real peace will be impossible (Vreeland, 2001).

If this is true, then it leads to some interesting questions: For one, what is the root of this hatred? Boutte (2008)
suggests that, at least in an educational context, such hate is often unintentional, but is usually the result of a lack of
education. Now if a lack of education is to blame, then a lack of education in what, exactly? It is awareness of the
existence of those different from us? Is it awareness that those different from us ae worthy of respect?

Another issue in teaching and learning multicultural literacy is better posited as a question: “Why should I treat
people people of another culture with respect?”

It might seem that the answer to the question is a simple one: for peace. But as we have seen earlier, not
everyone values peace to the same degree. What if, for a certain culture, it is easier to just destroy anyone who opposes
them rather than expend the effort needed to come to a mutual understanding?

Such statements might sound crass, but only if we believe that we, as a society, are above such things. How
many times have we broken “small” laws and rules of etiquette – running red traffic lights “because no one is there to
catch me,” or asking a vendor at a flea market or tiangge to list a different price to do otherwise? How many times have
we been selfish in our decision-making, not thinking about, not caring about its implications for others? And how many
times have we justified such behaviour “because of the circumstances” or “because everyone else is doing it?”
In other words, “Why should I value another culture, another society, another person more than myself and my
own?” if we subscribe to Dawkins’ (2016) concept of a “selfish gene” – where on a genetic level, the more two
individuals are genetically similar to one another, the more sense it makes to behave selflessly toward one another and

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selfishly toward others who are different – then we can easily frame the issue of discrimination of cultural discrimination
and injustice as one of both genetics and survival. This means that the injustice you experience is necessary for my
survival, and therefore it is in my best interests (genetic and otherwise) that I maintain the status quo – or reverse it, as
the case may be. Educators like Freire (2000) have recognized and written against such a monstrous perspective – and
rightly so – but have also admitted that when the oppressed are freed from their oppression, they inevitably become
new oppressors.

If such perpectives seem horrible to us (and they should), it is because the question of the value of humanity,
both individually and collectively as a culture, makes no sense without subscribing to some absolute moral standard –
one that is true and right for al people, regardless of race, color, or creed. But in today’s society where such absolutes
are reduced to matters of perspective, there remains no final and sensible answer to the question.

A majority of research on multicultural literacy stems from the West, specifically the United States, and focuses
on teaching teachers to be more multicultural in their pedagogies.

 Lean about other cultures. Banks (1991a) posits that the first step to teaching multiculturalism is knowing about
cultures that are not your own. It follows that if you, the teacher, know only your own culture, then you will be
unable to teach your students to appreciate a culture that is different from your own.
 Familiarize yourself with how discrimination and prejudice appear in your own culture. Boutte (2008) and
Banks (1991b) agree that teachers must be able to identify and confront patterns of discrimination and
prejudice in their own lives before they can teach their students to do the same. For example, when someone
you just met says he or she is from Mindanao, what words immediately come out of your mouth in response?
Do they express genuine acceptance, or do they betray some long-held preconceptions about people from the
region?
 As you are, so will you behave. Key to genuine multicultural literacy is core values – that is, what you, the
teacher, really believe about people who are different from you; not the kind of belief that you can just say you
possess when talking to your class. But the kind that determines yur behaviour when you think no one is
watching.
 Model more, tell more. Young students, by nature, will have difficulty in exercising empathy toward those who
are different from them. The ability is there, but it will naturally lack practice. It is therefore not enough that
teachers tell them to be more compassionate – you, the teacher, must model for them what empathy and
compassion for others look on a day-to-day basis.

Simply put, if you do not truly believe that those who are different have value equal to your own, it will show, and
your students will detect it. It will be seen in the words you use, in the expression on your face, in the change of you
behaviour when you think no one can see, etc. the converse is also true: If you do believe other have value equal to
your own, no matter their social class, educationa background, skin color, or regional accent, it will show; and what is
shown is what students will learn.
Wrap Up

 Globalization is the process of interaction and integration between people, business entities, governments, and
cultures from other nations, driven by international trade and investment and supported by information
technology.
 Cultural Literacy is the knowledge and understanding of the life of a culture to the point where one can fluently
participate in the activities of the said culture. This includes, but is not limited to, its languages, traditions, values,
beliefs, forms of entertainment, and worldviews.
 Multicultural Literacy is the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that any communication with a culture
different from our own is clear, productive, and respectful such that their differences are celebrated and neither
culture is demeaned or treated as inferior.
 The skills and knowledge required to be multi-culturally literate are:
1. Selflessness;
2. Knowledge that good and useful things can (and do) come from those different from us;
3. Willingness to compromise
4. Acceptance that there are limits; and
5. Idea that we cannot be friends with everyone.
 The issues in teaching and learning multicultural literacy in the Philippines are the nationalistic/regionalistic 8
pushback, the persistence of the problem, and the question of value.
 EVALUATION

1. What makes you a Filipino? Justify your answer.

2. Have you interacted with people who have a different culture from yours? How was your interaction with them?
What could you have done for a better interaction?

3. Consider regional discrimination in the Philippines: If a woman speaks Cebuano or Bisaya in Manila, she is often
assumed to be a main or yaya; If a man speak Tagalog with a heavy, provincial accent, he is often assumed to be
la laborer, driver, or involved in some form of manual or servile labor. What are your own discriminatory
practices?

4. What skills and knowledge do you need to improve in to become multiculturally literate?

5. Why should you as individual respect and value people who are different from you?

DO THIS !!

Create an infographic regarding the importance of Globalization and Multicultural Literacy in the classroom.

RUBRICS/PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
CRITERIA EXEMPLARY ACCEPTABLE DEVELOPING BEGINNING
10 8 6 4

Focus and Details There is one clear, There is one clear, There is one topic. The topic and main
well-focused topic. well-focused topic. Main ideas are ideas are not clear.
Main ideas are clear Main ideas ae clear somewhat clear.
and are well but are not well
supported by detailed supported by detailed
and accurate information.
information.

Organization The introduction is The introduction The introduction There is no clear

inviting, states the states the main topic states the main topic. introduction,
main topic, and and provides an A conclusion is structure, or
provides an overview overview of the included. conclusion.
of the paper. paper. A conclusion is
Information is included.
relevant and
presented in a logical
order. The conclusion
is strong.

Sentence Structure, All sentences are well Most sentences are Most sentences are Sentences sound
Grammar, constructed and have well-constructed and well constructed, but awkward, are
varied structure and have varied structure they have a similar distractingly
Mechanics, &
length. The author and length. The structure and/or repetitive, or are
Spelling
makes no errors in author makes a few length. The author difficult to
grammar, mechanics, errors in grammar, maes several understand. The
and/or spelling. mechanics, and/or wwerrors in grammar, author makes
spelling, but they do mechanics, and/or numerous errors in
not interfere with spelling that interfere grammar, mechanics,

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 understanding. with understanding. and/or spelling that
interfered with
understanding.
DIRECTIONS TO SUBMIT (IF SUBMISSION IS THROUGH ONLINE )
Submit your work either Online thru this email/Google Class or personally at the scheduled date below in Microsoft Word 97-
2003, .docx or other word processing file. (Google Docs, Open Office are also acceptable.

Google Account: [email protected]

Google Classroom: Educ 202 – Bulding and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum

DIRECTIONS TO SUBMIT (IF SUBMISSION IS THROUGH FACE -TO-FACE )

1. Bring your completed assignment in school (Riverside Campus).
2. Drop your completed assignment at the box (Educ 202 – Bulding and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum)
placed in front of COE Faculty Room.
3. Make sure to label your completed assignment with your name, course, year and section.

REFERENCES
Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum, First Edition 2019 | Alata, Elen Joy P. et al.

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