Ron Ritchhart describes enculturation as the process of gradually internalising the messages and values that we repeatedly experience through our interaction with the social environment. It’s said that this internalisation takes time as we identify the messages and values that are consistent and reoccurring in our environment.
Enculturation might begin when individuals notice the norm behaviours, actions, and language of others within a group. As a means of joining the group, fitting in or assimilating, and then mirroring them. Mirror neurons and subconscious peer pressure play a role in this 'catching on'. With this understanding, it might be said that culture is contagious.
Educators might consciously create a culture of their choosing by carefully selecting the messages they send their learners and the values they uphold in their classrooms. If they are consistent with these messages and values, the desired culture will develop.
At Griffin, we don’t take things as they are, we take them as we are. We don’t do things we’ve always done; we go to research and find what aligns with our values, vision, and strategic plan. We 'Griffinise' practices, routines, the way we communicate, and our environments so that they reflect us, our nature, and our values. We create mantras, artefacts, rituals, and traditions as symbols of our culture.
When new people join us, Vicki invites them to go on a ‘Contiki tour’ of our school. It is at this point that we begin enculturation. We model The Griffin Way and support them to enact it. Our ‘walking the talk’ rubs off and catches on, exemplifying the practices, the values, and our culture.
As Ron Ritchhart explains, enculturation is about the messages sent and the values upheld. When these things are consistent and reoccurring in our environment, enculturation can occur. At Griffin, we harness this process by explicitly sending repeated messages about who we are, what we stand for, and what we commit to. As a new member of the Griffin community, there’s no second-guessing what we value. It’s observable everywhere, in everything we do, say and display.
DOT FROM preview-next-diagram