Moisès Esteban-Guitart

Funds of Identity: A new concept based on the Funds of Knowledge approach

The main purpose of this paper is to articulate a theory of human identity from a Vygotskian perspective. In doing so, we use the term “funds of identity” inspired by the “funds of knowledge” approach. We use the term funds of identity to refer to the historically accumulated, culturally developed, and socially distributed resources that are essential for a person’s self-definition, self-expression, and self-understanding. Funds of knowledge—bodies of knowledge and skills that are essential for the well-being of an entire household—become funds of identity when people actively use them to define themselves. From our point of view, identity is made up of cultural factors such as sociodemographic conditions, social institutions, artifacts, significant others, practices, and activities. Consequently, understanding identity requires an understanding of the funds of practices, beliefs, knowledge, and ideas that people make use of.

Lived experience, funds of identity and education

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on funds of identity. First, we emphasize the extent to which history and time are constitutive dimensions of culture and experience and the affect this has on funds of identity and meaning construction. We then go on to explore some connections between lived experience and funds of identity. We prefer to use the term lived experience – rather than emotional experience, the term used by Nogueira (2014) – in order to emphasize (i) that cognition/thinking/meaning are inextricable from feeling/emotion/sense and (ii) that learning and experience are intrinsically situated in a matrix of life trajectories and ecological-transactional aspects throughout one’s life. Finally, in light of the commentaries by Nogueira (2014) and Hviid and Villadsen (2014), we discuss the applicability of the concept of funds of identity in educational settings. Funds of identity are inscribed into artefacts – drawings, documents, images, tasks, etc. – and transported throughout the different sites connected to a person’s life trajectory. In our view, these artefacts can be used as resources for establishing connections within schools and beyond them. This implies seeing the students’ funds of identity as resources for learning and seeing schools as a context that must also be linked to other practices and activities in which people are involved.

Mobilising funds of identity in and out of school

Abstract Learning happens through participation in formal community events and informal community activities. However, learning activities that take place in and out of school are often not mutually recognised. Funds of knowledge projects foster new ways of exchanging learning experiences in and out of school. Funds of identity can be uncovered by teachers through the collection of artefacts, interests and practices that are valuable to children. Specifically, videos, photographs, self-portraits, bilingual texts, diaries or ‘shoeboxes of significant items’ are some of the resources that can be used to make a learner’s funds of identity more visible and tangible in the classroom. The main aim of this paper is to illustrate a number of resources and strategies that help to identify and mobilise funds of identity. These funds of identity are integral for educators in order to develop meaningful and contextualised lessons.

Funds of knowledge in 21st century societies: inclusive educational practices for under-represented students. A literature review

Abstract Although the first educational applications of the funds of knowledge (FoK) concept were carried out in the late 1980s, there have been numerous developments and proposals since then, many of which have been made within the last few years. It continues to be, therefore, a valid, cutting-edge educational approach; one which seeks to overcome the lingering deficit perspective in education, by improving relationships between families and schools, and by designing culturally sensitive and contextualized curricular activities. In this review, we have identified 92 peer-reviewed publications relating to FoK in the ERIC database, dating from between 2011 and 2015. In this review, we aim to provide a summary of this literature and identify potential key trends, tensions, extensions and issues concerning current applications of the FoK approach. A number of contributions for teacher candidates and teacher professional development derived from the literature review are also suggested.

Ecocultural effects on self-concept. A study with young indigenous people from different sociodemographic contexts

This study explores self-concept among indigenous young people from different ecocultural niches in Chiapas (Mexico) through a particular self-concept task. Previous theory and research has described 3 cultural models linked with specific sociodemographic settings that foster particular psychologies. Our aim was to compare the results of the self-concept test among indigenous groups from different sociodemographic settings in order to observed possible differences. We predicted that individuals from rural communities with little formal education (hypothesised to be Interdependent) would have self-concepts with more social and less personal components than would those with an urban, highly educated (hypothesised to be Independent), and we expected a third group of highly educated young people living in an urban context but with a rural background (hypothesised to be autonomous-related group) to value social and personal components equally. The results supported this hypothesis. Based on ecocultural theory, it is suggested that sociodemographic contexts affect the self-concept.

La modificación de las creencias sobre las familias de origen inmigrante por parte de docentes después de participar en el proyecto educativo “fondos de conocimiento”

Resumen A menudo el contexto social de la educación de estudiantes de origen lingüístico y cultural diverso testifica la existencia de discontinuidades entre la escuela y las familias de estos alumnos. El proyecto Fondos de Conocimiento ha ofrecido un método que permite conceptualizar ambos mundos como relacionados, utilizando la etnografía para cuestionar asunciones más allá de los roles tradiciones y crear interacciones entre alumnos y docentes, docentes y familias y docentes e investigadores. Como resultado de la participación en el programa fondos de conocimiento, los maestros/as transforman su identidad personal y profesional. En este sentido, el objetivo de este artículo es mostrar los efectos de la participación en el programa educativo “fondos de conocimiento” según la valoración de 30 docentes a través de un diseño pre- y post-test. Los docentes se apropiaron de un lenguaje teórico que permitió redefinir su comprensión de las familias inmigrantes, dando valor pedagógico a sus fondos de conocimiento.

A qualitative study on transnational attachment among eight families of foreign origin

Abstract Traditionally, place attachment has been used as an explanatory concept to analyze the relationship between people and where they live; their immediate physical surroundings, basically the home, neighbourhood or community. However, the limitations of studies into place attachment include the spatial restriction of the notion of place and the methodological approach used, based on questionnaires. In this respect, there are a few studies within environmental psychology about transnational attachment, i.e. the relationships that people establish, in contexts of movement across national borders (migration), with their countries of origin and their destination. The results illustrated and described in this paper show the multi-place character of eight immigrant families. It is suggested that the support networks of family and friends are key elements in the development and maintenance of transnational attachment.

El carácter macrocultural de la identidad nacional

Resumen El objetivo de este artículo es examinar las raíces macroculturales de la identidad nacional. En este sentido, sostenemos que solamente puede entenderse cabalmente la identidad nacional si se considera su dimensión colectiva, política, histórica y cultural. Por eso nos parece que es necesario adoptar una perspectiva macrocultural con el objetivo de comprender el funcionamiento y los mecanismos psicológicos implicados en la construcción y apropiación de cualquier identidad nacional. En primer lugar, destacamos algunos principios básicos de la psicología macrocultural. Ello nos permite, en un segundo lugar, considerar la identidad nacional una función psicológico superior. Finalmente, el caso de las relaciones de género en Arabia Saudita nos permite ejemplificar la conceptualización de una identidad y conducta colectiva según la perspectiva macrocultural presentada.

Schooling and Identity: A Qualitative Analysis of Self-Portrait Drawings of Young Indigenous People from Chiapas, Mexico

One of the features associated with schooling and formal education is their decontextualized nature, a characteristic that has been related to the advancement of logical abstract thinking. The aim of this study was to compare and contrast self-portraits through the graphical representations and verbal explanations made by young indigenous people from the Altos de Chiapas with different educational levels ranging from primary school to university. Participants were of the same age. The results show the abstract nature (as opposed to the concrete character) of some of the self-portraits made by the group of university students and the prevalence of individual aspects (rather than social contextual factors) especially within this same group.

Identidad nacional, vitalidad etnolingüística e indigenismo en Chiapas (México)

Resumen En este artículo se presentan algunos resultados de una investigación más amplia sobre la vitalidad etnolingüística en indígenas y mestizos de Chiapas (México). Participaron en el estudio un total de 190 estudiantes de la U niversidad Intercultural de Chiapas: 115 indígenas y 75 mestizos. Los resultados muestran una fuerte identificación como mexicanos en ambos grupos, así como la consideración de que según los participantes “los indígenas son los auténticos mexicanos”. Se comparan los resultados en indigenismo y vitalidad etnolingüística general. Se discuten los resultados a la luz de los perfiles de vitalidad etnolingüística hallados en la literatura previa y la obra de Bonfill México profundo.