Outcome Chart - Ontario - World Cultures 12 HSC4M

The Concept of Culture

Overall Expectations

Cultural Dynamics: analyse how cultural identities are socially constructed, preserved, transmitted, and transformed;

Specific Expectations

Students will:

  • demonstrate an understanding of how an individual’s cultural identity is socially constructed
  • analyse how culture is acquired and maintained within a group
  • analyse ways in which culture is transmitted between groups (e.g., through dispersion, incorporation, assimilation, diffusion, conquest, exogamy, cultural imperialism) and how processes of transmission can result in changes to cultures, including loss of traditional culture
  • compare the rates at which cultural change is taking place within a variety of cultures (e.g., with respect to language, social mores, traditions, religious observance, fashion, intergenerational relationships, marriage, rites of passage; in the roles of women, men, and children), and analyse the factors contributing to this change (e.g., technological change, economic development, globalization, epidemics, migration, civil strife, education, mass media, climate change)
  • analyse various types of tensions that can occur between individuals and their collective culture

Lessons that meet Grade 12 expectations

Cultural Expressions

Overall Expectations

Cultural Expressions in Context: analyse specific cultural expressions and a range of factors that can affect them;

Specific Expectations

Students will:

  • analyse specific cultural expressions (e.g., in the areas of visual arts, music, dance, drama, literature, architecture, fashion, values, philosophy, religion, media) with reference to their function and the time and place with which they are associated
  • compare similar forms of cultural expression in different cultures and/or historical periods
  • assess the influence of the art, philosophy, and religious/spiritual beliefs or practices of one culture (e.g., Grebo or Haida masks, yoga and meditation, t’ai chi ch’uan, salsa, hip hop, reggae, capoeira, Maori haka, Bollywood films) on forms of cultural expression produced by individuals or groups from other cultures
  • assess ethnocultural minority groups’ contributions to and influence on culture in Canada

Lessons that meet Grade 12 expectations

Critical Cultural Issues

Overall Expectations

Power Relations: demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of power relations within specific cultural groups and between minority and majority cultures;

Policies and Issues: demonstrate an understanding of past and present policies and issues affecting cultural diversity in Canada, and compare approaches to such policy in Canada with those in other countries;

Social Action and Personal Engagement: design, implement, and evaluate an initiative to address an issue related to cultural groups or promoting cultural diversity.

Specific Expectations

Students will:

  • analyse the potential impact on cultural identity and on the relations between cultural groups of cultural stereotypes, labelling, and misrepresentations found in mainstream media and popular culture
  • analyse both the positive and negative aspects and effects of the interactions between minority and majority cultures in Canada and around the world
  • describe various ways in which cultural minority groups address challenges to their identity from more powerful groups
  • assess the effects of cultural imperialism on cultures around the world
  • explain the impact of colonization on Aboriginal communities in Canada and other countries
  • identify a specific need related to cultural groups or promoting cultural diversity, and design an initiative to address this need
  • identify strategies and skills needed for gaining support for and handling potential resistance to their initiative
  • demonstrate an understanding of how to effectively evaluate social action initiatives

Lessons that meet Grade 12 expectations

Research and Inquiry Skills

Overall Expectations

Exploring: explore topics related to world cultures and/or cultural groups, and formulate questions to guide their research

Investigating: create research plans, and locate and select information relevant to their chosen topics, using appropriate social science research and inquiry methods

Processing Information: assess, record, analyse, and synthesize information gathered through research and inquiry

Communicating and Reflecting: communicate the results of their research and inquiry clearly and effectively, and reflect on and evaluate their research, inquiry, and communication skills.

Specific Expectations

Students will:

explore a variety of topics related to explore a variety of topics related to equity and social justice
explore a variety of topics related to world cultures and/or cultural groups (e.g., ethnocultural study of a particular culture, the issue of hyphenated identities, educational and employment barriers faced by newcomers to Canada, changing gender roles in specific cultures) to identify topics for research and inquiry to identify topics for research and inquiry

identify key concepts (e.g., through discussion, brainstorming, use of visual organizers) related to their selected topics

formulate effective questions to guide their research and inquiry

create appropriate research plans to investigate their selected topics (e.g., outline purpose and method; identify sources of information), ensuring that their plans follow guidelines for ethical research

locate and select information relevant to their investigations from a variety of primary sources

based on preliminary research, for each investigation formulate a hypothesis, thesis statement, or research question, and use it to focus their research

assess various aspects of information gathered from primary and secondary sources (e.g., accuracy, relevance, reliability, inherent values and bias, voice)

analyse and interpret research information

synthesize findings and formulate conclusions

demonstrate academic honesty by documenting the sources of all information generated through research

demonstrate an understanding of the general research process by reflecting on and evaluating their own research, inquiry, and communication skills

Lessons that meet Secondary expectations