Chris, Thanks for kicking me out of the simple literate-non-literate bi-bolarity
Bernd ----- [email protected], on 20.09.2002 at 07:56:14 (GMT/UT + 02:00) No attachments ------------------------------------------------- Bernd Weber ------------------------------------------------- e-mail: [email protected] ---- C.P. 1462, Beira, Sofala, MOZAMBIQUE fone: +258-3-32 98 59, cellfone:+258-82-43 79 77 ---- Gumpendorfer Straße 88b/18, AT-1060 Wien AUSTRIA fone: 00431 596 86 57, cellfone: +43 0664 7667872 ---- Wenn Du meine private elektronische Diskussionsgruppe abonnieren möchtest, sende einfach eine E-Mail an [email protected] ---- Inscricao no grupo de discussao "Sistemas organizacionais": Escrever um email para o endereco <[email protected]> On Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:33:30 -0700, Chris Corrigan wrote: >I remember years ago reading Edward T. Hall, the anthropologist who >wrote "Understanding Culture" in the 1950s. If I recall correctly, >he used the terms "high context" and "low context" to describe a >continuum of cultures. High context cultures are those in which >there is a tremendous amount of information in a shared "field," >meaning that explicit communication is somewhat redundant. These >are cultures in which subtle body language and knowing looks are all >that is needed to communicate. "Low context" cultures require a >great deal of elaboration to get messages across, because there is >little in the way of shared and common context in which to embed >every day communication. > >I always thought of this as an interesting counterpoint to the >"Oral/Written" designation. It seems to me anyway, that writing, >talking and sensing are all communication strategies, and while >certain cultural contexts will select some strategies over others, >all strategies are available to everyone, even if reading is a skill >that has not yet been learned by individuals. > >What put me in mind of this was my exposure to the >Visual/Auditory/Kinesthetic learning styles work (more at: >http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/learning/styles.html) as well as >the fact that most Aboriginal people I know claim to be part of an >oral tradition, but tend to describe themselves as visual learners. >When I work with Aboriginal folks, I always set my default note >taking style towards the visual, and I use mind maps, pictures, flow >charts and squiggles to record and order information. So how is it >that self described "oral" cultures in North America tend to rely so >heavily on visual learning strategies? > >Well, in fact here on the West Coast, you probably have heard of >totem poles and potlatches, which are elaborate ceremonies and >cultural products that are as much about the visual pageantry as >they are about the content. And within these things is a message >that is transmitted orally, although the reminders are all visual >and kinesthetic: dances, masks, carvings, and so on. All of these >things "carry" the story with them. > >What is happening here in fact, is that there is a very high >context, in which the culture operates, and relatively small numbers >of representations are able to animate the entire culture. Nothing >happens in a potlatch that doesn't have about 5 or 6 meanings, and >everyone nods knowingly when certain dances are danced and certain >foods are served. > >So this has some interesting implications for being culturally >sensitive when working with information. A high context culture may >require little more than reminders to help people recall all that >has been talked about and dealt with over the day, what Bernd gets >at by asking people to "recall in mind" rather than "reading the >news." Low context cultures, in my opinion, tend to be less >comfortable with the limited information that sometimes comes out of >Open Space small groups, where people have been too engaged in the >process of conversation to write down much of what was said. This >can lead to some people expressing absolute joy at the conclusion of >an OST meeting while others will appear to be completely flummoxed >by what just happened, and reading the reports in no way helps to >explain to them why it was such a high for so many people. > >Of course this is a somewhat tangential discussion to the one about >literacy. Very often, illiterate learners will compensate for their >inability to read by being strong in other areas, but it is often >true that illiterate learners are very visual people too, and able >to employ their right brains phenomenally. A friend I work with, >Brent Cameron, (http://www.wondertree.org) has had a lot of success >facilitating these kinds of folks to learn read by helping them to >see words as pictures and encouraging them to become elaborate with >the language. Other learners who are more kinesthetic can learn to >read by making letters and words out of tactile substances like wood >or metal and actually manipulating them into words. > >In designing any kinds of process, attention to learning styles is a >huge part of my preparatory work. It's not that I try to guess who >learns in what way, but by covering lots of bases and having lots of >options available to people, I try to make sure that everyone is >able to find a comfortable way of learning and contributing. > >The recent discussions about ways of recording OST events are >marvelous, and contribute a lot to my own learning and thinking >about how to do this. > >Chris > > >--- >CHRIS CORRIGAN Consultation - Facilitation Open Space Technology > >Bowen Island, BC, Canada http://www.chriscorrigan.com >[email protected] > >* * ========================================================== >[email protected] ------------------------------ >To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of >[email protected], Visit: > >http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
