Every society, or culture, has a basic
background of information that all its members share. These may consist of
stories, visual images, sounds or music, history and legends, and even
current news. Knowledge of this information is known as cultural
literacy.
Everyone within a culture has some degree
of cultural literacy. For example, we all know what MTV is, and
when we hear that name we think of music, videos, and perhaps some of the
people or programs that this network shows. When we hear the words nine-eleven,
it brings up different images and feelings; this was an event that
impacted everyone in our society.
It is not difficult to improve, or
develop, your sense of cultural literacy. Doing so is a personal choice,
and it is a project that can be approached in many different ways.
Developing your own sense of cultural literacy is a project that can last
a lifetime. The lists and programs provided here are suggestions only; you
can certainly develop your own program, or find one elsewhere, or simply
read books or see films randomly.
The
only purpose of these programs is to develop your own knowledge and
understanding. These lists are comprehensive, but they do not claim to be
complete. That would be impossible. They generally reflect a traditional
approach to American culture, and are not intended to be international in
scope. Although there are items on the lists that are not American in
origin, these have been included because of their contributions to the
American culture. There are those who will disagree with some of the
suggestions on each list, and who will wonder why other titles were
omitted. Your comments are welcome at
rcannito@fairlawnschools.org.
There are
currently three lists, each available through its link above.