Running head: CULTURAL INTERVIEW

Jennifer Duncan
Cultural Interview
EDUF 7235: Multicultural Education
Georgia Southern University

CULTURAL INTERVIEW

Mr. Dennis Lindsay is a Career Development Advisor at Georgia Institute of

Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. He identifies himself as an African-American,
heterosexual, Southern male who is a Christian (Baptist). He was born and raised in
South Carolina and went through the public schools system then went on to receive a
Bachelors degree from South Carolina State College. He worked for a few years then
decided to go back to school to achieve a Masters degree from Webster University at one
of their satellite campuses.
According to Mr. Lindsay, societal perspective on education is that it allows
flexibility in employment and knowledge of how society works because of exposure.
Lack of education brings problems and the uneducated fall prey to societal ills that we
hear a lot about on the news, says Dennis. His definition of what it means to be a welleducated person is not necessarily a degree, but rather going out of ones way to educate
oneself by seeing how things work and why things are the way they are. He talks about
how his father is one of the most educated people he knows although he never received a
high school diploma.
His personal philosophy is that hes conservative in how children ought to be
raised, although he doesnt have children of his own. He believes that discipline is critical
and that it establishes the track for a childs existence. He disagrees with the modern
child rearing of today where parents negotiate with kids. Dennis believes that families
and the community play an integral role in education. Families should emphasize
education as the main thing but he believes that that mindset has changed nowadays and
that people no longer see the value in education. Growing up in a small community, most

CULTURAL INTERVIEW

people knew each other and everyone would help educate children whether formally or
informally. They believed they had a stake in it because that child represented them. He
views the demographics changing because discipline is now scrutinized.
In all of his school environments, whether primary, secondary, or post secondary,
he felt welcomed and a sense of belonging because of familiarity of the environments
from home to school. He notices the paradigm shift in that familiarity in todays school
system because students are so diverse. Everyone doesnt have the same upbringing
therefore rules, policies, and regulations must be broader and not so structured. However,
in college he did come across some difficulty more so than in his K-12 educational
experience. Mr. Lindsay gave several examples of challenges he faced while in college
but the one that stood out to me was one that I had a similar challenge with. He had a
conflict with a roommate in which he had to learn how to find a balance because their
living habits were quite different.
If given the opportunity to give advice to instructors, he suggests that they
abandon safety in terms of job protection. Dennis reveals that most of the people in his
family are teachers and so he has noticed how they have to abide by the current
educational culture. He believes that it is a disservice to students when you try to abide
by that culture rather than helping each student out on an individual basis, especially if
you know that theyre having problems at home. He also believes that teachers shouldnt
fall under the pressure of making sure students pass standardized tests at a high rate but
rather should focus on instilling a love for learning. I can agree with his educational
concerns because I believe that instructors sometimes always do things by the book and
dont take a step outside of their comfort zones for fear that they will be reprimanded or

CULTURAL INTERVIEW

lose their jobs. There may be an individual student that cant be helped in the typical way
that the majority can and as an instructor you have the ability to change that students life
by using a teaching method that may be unconventional.
If I could briefly describe Mr. Lindsays culture, I would use the words old school
or traditional. He reminded me a lot of my father and how I was raised because they hold
the same values when it comes to education. Because of that, I cant say that my views or
beliefs changed much after the interview however it was an eye-opening experience to
hear his perspective on how things have changed so much. Because he is an advisor, he
sees first hand how educational culture has changed. This was insightful for me as a
future educator and administrator because I see that I have to flow with the new tide of
education rather than having the mindset I currently do because of my upbringing.

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5
References

D. Lindsay, personal communication, 18 February 2016.