Cole, M., Gay, Glick, and Sharp 1971a

Cole, Michael, John Gay, Joseph A. Glick, and Donald W. Sharp. 1971a. "An unorthodox ethnography." In Cole, M., Gay, Glick, and Sharp 1971. Interest level: lay specialist.

Examines traditional Kpelle culture in Liberia:

• farming
• building a house
• language
• occupations, and
• social interactions.

Studies the encroachment of westernization, particularly in relation to schools and students. Describes how children in school struggle between traditional ways and Western ways. In traditional cultures, learning occurs more from observation than from formally designed situations; teaching is not explicit. Students must adapt to new learning styles, such as rote learning. Traditions they learned through songs and stories are devalued. Cultures are in conflict because of different values, and students reject their Kpelle culture as inferior to Western cultures.

Offers insights into tremendous differences in cultural learning styles. Illustrates the extreme conflicts created by introducing Western education into a traditional culture.

• Bibliography module: Cole, M., Gay, Glick, and Sharp 1971a
• In overview module: Bibliography (Literacy): C
• In modular book: Bibliography (Literacy), by Doris Gallemore, Trudi C. Hunt, Jeanne Swanson, and Stephen L. Walter
• In document collection: Reference materials
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 18 May 1999

© 1999 SIL International