Download - Multicultural Issues
Multicultural Issues
Spring 2013
Freddie Bowles, Professor
Aíxa García Mont, assistant
Unity.
Not uniformity.
Today’s LessonGoal: To establish background
information about MCE; to learn about
each other’s diversity and the diversity
your students
1. Definitions
2. BINGO
3. Small group discussion
Language Diversity in Arkansas
Language Diversity in Arkansas
Statistical Information
40 % of P-12 population are students of color
BUT
84% of teachers are European Americans
AND
75% of those are female
41% of all 4th graders have F & R lunches
14% of all students are in special programs
How do you define “values”?
Qualities that parents find desirable and important to the education of their children.
Examples:
prestige, status, pride, family
loyalty, love of country, morality,
education, religious beliefs, honor
What is culture?
Culture…
defines who we are
influences knowledge, beliefs, and values
provides a blueprint for behavior, feeling, and thinking
imposes order and meaning on who we are
allows us to predict how others will behave in certain situations
Characteristics of culture
Culture islearned behaviorshared behavioradapted behaviordynamic (changing) behavior
Manifested invaluesnon-verbal patternslanguage
Our cultural lenses
Ethnocentrism: the only lens and the right one! http://www.corndancer.com/fritze/reformation2/refmaton2_home.html
Cultural relativism: the lens as a prism--seeing the world with many facets
Multiple lenses: ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, class or SES, first language, geographic region, residence, abilities, exceptionalities…
The majority cultureValues and practices reflected in most
Institutions (political, business, educational, social)
Privilege: unable to recognize inequality, racism, and powerlessness of anyone outside the dominant culture
Result: creates alienation in subgroups and subcultures
Some characteristics of majority culture influences
Anglo-Saxon / Western European roots
Language (England)
Legal system (England)
Democratic ideals (France and England)
Logic (Socrates)
Individualism (Germany)
Freedom (France)
Some values and ideologies of majority culture
Time
Money
Success measured by accumulation of goods
Control of destiny and nature
Industriousness, ambition, competition, self-reliance, independence
How other cultures relate to majority culture
Acculturation: adoption of cultural patterns of dominant group by new or oppressed group
Consonant: Parents and children learn the language and culture in which they live at the same time
Dissonant: Children learn language and culture/parents don’t
Selective: Children learn both and still retain elements of native culture
Continued
Assimilation: cultural patterns become part of dominant culture or disappear
Structural: primary group relationships are sharedCultural pluralism: two or more groups function separately and equallyEgalitarianism: social, political, and economic rights and privileges for all people
ContinuedEquality: concern for group’s welfare
Inequality based on societal differences
Meritocracy: individual merit deserves greatest social and financial reward
Inequality based on individual’s differences
Prejudice: aversion to a group different from your ownDiscrimination: denial of privileges and rewards to members of oppressed groups both individual and institutionalStereotypes: generalizations about group without consideration of individual differences within that group
Homework
ABC Who Are We? Poem
Read Chapter 3
Bring McMenu choices and dates to class on a notecard