Finding Comfort in our Cultural Context

Culture provides comfort.  Stenhouse (1967) claims, “In a sense man is always alone, but sharing culture one loneliness calls out to another and is heard and understood, for to live within culture is to be able to understand, albeit in a partial way, the experience of those around us” (p. 13).  Through our shared practices and beliefs we can develop a sense of knowing and belonging. 

I have been working with data from an interview study of first year college students.  All of the students in the study had participated in a summer bridge program.  The students were together for four weeks in the summer before for their freshman year.  They engaged in a variety of workshops, classes, and social events.  Over the four weeks, the students developed a strong sense of closeness and community.  

Across the first year of college, some of the students maintained close relationships with the students they met in the summer program.  Other students moved on to new social groups.  Regardless of day to day friendships, all of the students commented on the feelings that there was a community of people on campus who they knew would always be available to them because of the shared experience.  This appeared to provide a strong sense of comfort for the students as they embarked on all of the transitions of their first year experience. 

I am sure we have all experienced that sense of “coming home” to a group that we feel a sense of knowing.  For many years, I worked as a clinical music therapist.  I was very involved in the professional associations.  I felt very comfortable with the culture of the group. Like many music therapists, I usually worked in settings where I was the only music therapist.  Even when I was in very supportive work environments, no one really knew about music therapy which was so core to defining my sense of self.  I relished opportunities to be with other music therapists at conferences and professional events because I was with people who understood my experience. 

When we come home to a group that has a shared sense of experiences, practices and beliefs we experience the familiarity of a known cultural context. 

 Stenhouse, L. (1967). Culture and education. London: Nelson.