“There is no doubt that culture, and cultural differences, are often in focus during many descriptive reviews. Children and adults are never solitary individuals, immune to the social and cultural forces around them…Gaining understanding of the cultural norms and assumptions we bring as teachers, as well a those brought by each of the students in our class, is an often difficult task but is essential to providing a learning space that is welcoming and caring and sets up all students for academic and social success. Yet discussions about these topics, even among colleagues who have known and worked with each other for many years, can be sensitive and at times distressing…A protocol, such as that offered by the descriptive review, is a tool that can create a space for discussion around such issues.” (154, Knoester)

By reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of descriptive review, Knoester establishes a strong argument for the multiple benefits inherent in the process including a multiplicity of perspectives and a chance to premeditate and reflect on instruction. The passage above applies these basic theoretical assumptions of descriptive review to cultural advocacy and culturally responsive teaching in the classroom setting.
Knoester states that due to our social and cultural backgrounds no one operates with absolute autonomy. As a result of this socialization, everyone – without exception – carries implicit biases. These implicit biases are often operationalized unconsciously and thus affect our everyday lives in profound and largely unacknowledged ways. Failing to acknowledge this impact can have detrimental effects in education. There is a necessity for combating such implicit bias both in education and on a broader social basis, which can only be done through active self-interrogation and commitment to actualizing the resulting awareness.

Despite the necessity of interrogating our implicit biases, the process can be quite difficult to carry out individually. Too often this impedes it from happening at all. Knoester posits that descriptive review facilitates such an interrogation by creating spaces for this type of critical discourse so important not only between teachers, but also within classrooms themselves. Because the process leverages multiple perspectives such efforts would lead to powerful outcomes nearly impossible to achieve through independent self-investigation. Moreover, the process is focused on shaping future behaviors and this emphasis on action is crucial for actualizing the resulting insights. Ultimately using this process to focus on culture and cultural differences provides practitioners a powerful tool for ensuring and monitoring advocacy efforts in the classroom.