UNderstanding The Haitian Culture
an overview
- There is an old Haitian proverb that states “Beyond the mountains more mountains.” Although most of Haiti consists of mountains the proverb reflects the Haitian view that beyond current problems lie others.
- There is significant distrust of authorities and professionals due to a long history of oppression and exploitation.
- Haitians can be very expressive and speak loudly. Non‐Haitians may misinterpret this as anger.
Haitian Children and Families
- In Haitian families, children are thought to be gifts from God, and parents (specifically mothers) will do almost anything to ensure that their children's basic needs are met, even if it means neglecting their own basic needs.
- It is important to remember that values (and their corresponding skills) vary from culture to culture. For example, although many Haitian children are able to make independent choices and entertain themselves at younger ages than American children, they tend to master concrete developmental tasks, such as toilet training, later than American children.
- When working with Haitian‐American families, it will be important to remember that “appropriate discipline” varies from culture to culture. In Haiti, many families use physical punishment as their primary means of discipline .
Haitian education
- The first schools in Haiti were established shortly after 1805, but an accessible school system never developed.
- Dropout rates remain high: 50 percent in urban areas and 80 percent in rural ones.
- Education is highly valued, but the majority of Haitians do not have access to it. Technically, education is free in Haiti, but most cannot afford the supplemental fees, school supplies, and required uniforms.
- The Haitian curriculum calls for many subjects to be learned in great detail, usually by memorizing. Grading and testing are very strict. It is much more difficult to achieve a grade of B in Haiti than it is in the United States.
- The teacher calls all students by their last names and has total authority over the class. A student speaks only when asked a question, and does not look the teacher in the eye but keeps his or her head down as a sign of respect.
- There are no parent-teacher organizations and if a parent is called to school it usually means that the student is in serious trouble.