80 CHAPTER THREE Culture enter the bathroom, you see several pairs of identical slippers. Thinking they are for guests, you put on a pair and rejoin your host, who reacts with horror. Unwittingly, you have worn a pair of toilet slippers into the living room (McLane 2013). From the perspective of . . . A Social Worker How would you expect culture shock to affect your clients who are recent immigrants from the Middle East? What steps could you take to help ease the transition for these new Americans? All of us, to some extent, take for granted the cultural practices of our society. As a result, it can be surprising and even disturbing to realize that other cultures do not follow our way of life. The fact is, customs that seem strange to us may be considered normal and proper in other cultures, which may see our social practices as odd. Resistance to technological change can lead not only to culture lag, but to some real questions of cultural survival. LO 10-3 SOCIAL POLICY and Culture We have seen that researchers rely on a number of tools, from simple observational research to the latest in computer technologies. Because in the real world sociological research can have far-reaching consequences for public policy and public welfare, let’s consider its impact on the right to privacy. STUDYING BILINGUALISM The staff in the emergency room is unprepared. Although the issue is not a medical one, the doctors and nurses do not understand the patient’s complaints, nor can they communicate effectively with her companion. This type of incident, which occurs frequently, can have serious consequences. According to a study of two large pediatric emergency departments in Massachusetts, even when the second language is a common one like Spanish, interpreting errors can lead to clinically significant mistakes in 22 percent of such cases. In other words, language errors put patients at risk (Flores et al. 2012). How can we learn to work and live effectively when Americans speak so many different languages? Throughout the world, not just emergency rooms but schools and other institutions must deal with people who speak many languages. Bilingualism refers to the use of two languages in a particular setting, such as the workplace or schoolroom, treating each language as equally legitimate. Thus, a teacher of bilingual education may instruct children in their native language while gradually introducing them to the language of the host society. If the curriculum is also bicultural, children will learn about the mores and folkways of both the dominant culture and the subculture. To what degree should schools in the United States present the curriculum in a language other than English? This issue has prompted a great deal of debate among educators and policymakers. According to the Bureau of the Census, 61 million U.S. residents over age five—that’s about 21 percent of the population—spoke a language other than English as their primary language at home in 2011 ( Figure 3-4 ). Indeed, 29 other languages are each spoken by at least 200,000 U.S. residents (C. Ryan 2013). This segment of the population is expected to increase modestly by 2020. For example, the proportion of older Hispanics who speak Spanish is expected to hold steady
Schaefer_Sociology_POWER_1e
To see the actual publication please follow the link above