PanamÁ—Culture & Pop culture

1. PanamÁ—Culture & Pop culture Talia J. Palacio

2. La cultura • Panamá’s culture, customs, and language are mainly Caribbean Spanish. Panamanians are of mixed Spanish, indigenous, Chinese, African, and West Indian. • Personalismo is a crossed value shared amongst the Panamanian culture. We believe in trust.

3. Family and relationships • Panamanian families raise their kids around the principles of cultural values—children are raised to be independent and strong and family is the foundation of all. There is much value to the extended family. • Households—Privacy can be limited in a household, due to most children growing up together.

4. La familia panameña • Family members rely upon each other for assistance in major stages throughout life. Extended kin are important as well. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins faithfully gather to mark birthdays and holidays together. Married children visit their parents frequently--even daily. • Important cultural rites of passage: baptism is a major family event. The selection of padrinos/madrinas is an important influential step in the child’s future.

5. Chivalry isn’t dead! • There is still an old fashioned attitude amongst women in Panamá. • Men still expect to open doors and pull out chairs for women.

6. How Panamanians live, work, & play • The country obtains large amounts of immigrants from Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, India, China, and the Dominican Republic. • The working culture in Panamá is relaxed. Workplaces may be informal; yet social. • When invited to social gatherings, the host will be hospitable. For example, the person inviting to a dinner gathering is expected to pay. If you host a dinner party, you will need to hand out gifts to the guests.

7. Panamanian Education • Families of Panama Urban Trailer: http://youtu.be/BP61uxl89w8 • Families of panama Rural Trailer: http://youtu.be/mPyjMv3cVp0

8. Modernizando el país

9. Mañana… • We have embedded the “mañana”, which means, “not now” into the Panamanian culture. In the beginning, for one who is not used to this part of the culture, it can appear aggravating… overall it helps the fast paced minds to slow down and not to take their surroundings so seriously. • Decision making is time consuming in the Panamanian culture. We have the tendency to not rush to get things done quickly, but the culture expects punctuality.

10. Afro-Latino • Día de la Etnia—celebrates the contributions descendants in the history of African Diaspora. • Panamá is one of the largest Central American countries with historical linkage to Africa and the Caribbean. • Carnival—in Portobelo, Panamá, carnaval is one of the most distinctive occurrences in the African Diaspora. The Congos—descendants of enslaved Africans—play in the streets during carnaval by performing in an exaggerated style ridiculing the manners of the Spaniards.

11. Afro-Latino Resources • http://youtu.be/EULWpT84-QE • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/featured/preview-black-in-latin-america/172/#.UvsCOmtN1F4.google

12. How can we integrate the variations of culture into our lessons? • Students are able to make a cultural connection and a cultural comparison between their daily and academic lives. • Students can compare personal traditions and familial beliefs to the customs of families from Panamá.

13. Pop culture—the influences of social media in the Panamanian culture • Social media has tremendously impacted the Panamanian American by permitting a connection to the core family. • Tentative Activity—Depending on the age group, the students can evaluate the many ways social media maintains unity within a family; also, the students can reflect over how social media helps develop and maintain established relationships within the family and community.

14. Sample activity • El fakebook: The students will create a “fakebook”. The “fakebook” allows for the students to create a false profile page simulating that of the social web; also the page will serve as an addition to the student’s portfolio; this form of assessment/activity is a critical integration of the content/language at study in written form and spoken form, along with the integration of technology by making cultural connections and comparisons between their own and Panama.

15. Modification for this activity– for elementary/middle school: students can create booklets to compare their family life with the respective culture at study.

16. Links • Un video para la creación de un sitio falso de redes sociales: http://youtu.be/dDqhjHX6gGE • https://youtu.be/dDqhjHX6gGE • “Fakebook”-- http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/page