©  Elizabeth  Wood            January  2013  

Multicultural  Education  Issues  and  Perspectives  Seventh  Edition  James  A.  Banks  and  Cherry  A.  McGee  Banks    

 Chapter    1  Review    

1) What  are  the  three  components  or  elements  of  multicultural  education?      The  three  components  of  multicultural  education  are:  (1)  a  concept  or  idea;  (2)  an  educational  reform  movement;  (3)  a  process.      

2) How  does  Banks  define  multicultural  education?    Banks  defines  multicultural  education  as  “the  idea  that  all  students  […]  should  have  an  equal  opportunity  to  learn  in  school”  and  that  some  students  with  certain  characteristics  (gender,  race,  etc.)  should  “have  a  better  chance  to  learn  in  schools  as  they  are  currently  structured  than  do  students  who  belong  to  other  groups  or  who  have  different  cultural  characteristics”  (pg.  3).        Essentially,  Banks  asserts  that  multicultural  education  is  the  reform  movement  that  assures  all  students  will  have  an  EQUAL  opportunity  to  learn.      

3) Find  other  definitions  of  multicultural  education  in  several  books  listed  under  the  category  “Issues  and  Concepts”  in  the  Appendix.    How  are  the  definitions  of  multicultural  education  in  these  books  alike  and  different  from  the  ones  presented  in  this  chapter?      

4) In  what  ways  did  the  civil  rights  and  women’s  rights  movements  of  the  1960s  and  the  1970s  influence  the  development  of  multicultural  education?  

 There  were  two  main  groups  that  this  text  discusses  as  helping  the  development  of  multicultural  education.    These  two  main  groups  were  African-­‐Americans  and  women.      African-­‐Americans’  vital  decade  was  1960,  as  they  began  to  fight  for  equality.    Their  platform  focused  on  public  accommodations,  housing,  employment,  and  education.    According  to  Banks,  the  result  of  their  efforts  from  the  time  period  in  question  was  a  lot  of  holidays  (or  ethnic  celebrations)  and  class  offering  that  focused  on  one  ethnic  group.    These  kinds  of  celebrations  and  classes  were  led  by  members  of  that  specific  group,  and  often  almost  unanimously  attended  by  members  of  the  same  group.    Banks  claims  these  reforms  were  hastily  made,  and  were  not  educationally  sound.      Women  also  were  a  key  reform  in  the  1960s,  as  well  as  in  the  1970s,  and  they  focused  mainly  on  equal  pay,  eliminating  laws  that  discriminated  against  women,  hiring  more  women  in  administration  style  jobs,  and  having  men  take  a  more  active  role  in  the  home.    These  problems  were  very  similar  to  those  of  the  African-­‐Americans.    In  terms  of  educational  reform,  women  demanded  textbooks  be  rewritten  to  include  the  role  of  women  throughout  history  and  they  demanded  more  female  administrators  in  schools.    Other  groups  that  demanded  reform  included  people  with  disabilities,  senior  citizens,  and  gay  rights  advocates.    One  law,  The  Education  for  the  All  Handicapped  Children  Act  of  1975,  required  that  students  with  disabilities  be  educated  in  the  least  restrictive  environment  and  brought  the  term  “mainstreaming”  into  schools.      

©  Elizabeth  Wood            January  2013  

5) Ask  several  teachers  to  give  you  their  views  and  definitions  of  multicultural  education.    What  generalizations  can  you  make  about  their  responses?      [Will  be  done  during  interview  assignment]      

6) Visit  a  local  school  and,  by  observing  several  classes  as  well  as  by  interviewing  several  teachers  and  the  principal,  describe  what  curricular  and  other  practices  related  to  multicultural  education  have  been  implemented  in  the  school.    Share  your  report  with  your  classmates  and  workshop  colleagues.        [Will  be  done  during  interview  assignment]      

7) What  is  macroculture?    A    microculture?      A  macroculture  is  the  larger  of  the  two  cultures,  and  is  considered  the  core  culture.    It  is  the  macroculture  that  sets  the  values,  norms,  and  characteristics  of  what  is  considered  acceptable.    A  microculture  is  the  smaller  culture,  and  is  considered  part  of  the  core  culture.        

8) How  is  culture  defined?    What  are  the  most  important  components  of  culture  in  a  modernized  society?    According  to  the  text,  culture  is  a  “group’s  program  for  survival  in  and  adaptation  to  its  environment”  (pg.  8).    The  components  of  culture  include  knowledge,  concepts,  and  values  that  are  shared  by  group  members.    Beliefs,  symbols,  and  interpretations  are  also  shared  in  this  group.        

9) List  and  define  several  core  or  overarching  values  and  characteristics  that  make  up  the  macroculture  of  the  US.    To  what  extent  are  these  values  and  characteristics  consistent  with  practices  in  the  US  society?    To  what  extent  are  the  inconsistent?      These  are  what  I  consider  to  be  core  values/characteristics  of  the  US  macroculture:    -­‐ The  appearance  of  choice  in  politics:  Americans  like  to  think  they  have  a  choice  in  the  political  

bodies  that  govern  them.    I  find  this  slightly  inconsistent  because  poll  numbers  indicate  that  a  big  population  does  not  participate  in  voting.    Also,  when  watching  shows  like  Jimmy  Kimmell  Live,  the  general  public  does  not  appear  to  be  educated  on  current  events  and  are  unaware  of  what  is  happening  in  the  government  that  they  hypothetically  placed  in  control.    

-­‐ The  idea  that  more  is  better:  This  extends  from  free  refills  to  buffet  lines  in  restaurants,  to  bigger  cars  and  huge  houses.      

-­‐ The  idea  of  beauty  as  tall,  skinny,  and  blonde  –  most  entertainment  displays  women  who  are  super  skinny  and  donning  a  mountain  of  make-­‐up.    They’re  in  magazines,  on  TV,  in  music  videos,  etc.    Lately,  there  seems  to  be  an  inconsistency  with  the  popularity  of  plus-­‐size  clothing  stores  and  celebrities  posting  unflattering,  online  pictures.        

 10) How  is  individualism  viewed  differently  in  the  US  and  in  nations  such  as  Japan  or  China?    Why?    What  

are  the  behavioral  consequences  of  these  varying  notions  of  individualism?    Individualism  is  a  common  core  belief  in  the  US,  while  it  is  viewed  very  negatively  in  countries  such  as  China  and  Japan.    The  ideal  of  individualism,  which  stems  from  Protestant  values  when  the  British  first  came  over,  stresses  the  belief  that  individual  success  is  more  important  than  family,  community,  and  the  nation.    This  belief  is  instilled  in  children  at  a  young  age,  along  with  the  idea  that  success  is  based  solely  on  an  individual’s  efforts.    This  idea  contrasts  sharply  with  Groupism,  found  in  many  Asian  

©  Elizabeth  Wood            January  2013  

countries.    In  these  countries,  individuals  are  expected  to  value  family  and  the  societal  group  over  them  selves.        Some  consequences  of  individualism:    -­‐ Married  children  expect  older  parents  to  live  independently  or  in  a  nursing  home,  instead  of  with  

the  married  children  -­‐ Failure  is  seen  as  a  sign  of  laziness  or  not  being  ambitious,  and  therefore  one’s  own  fault    

11) What  is  the  American  dilemma  defined  by  Myrdal?    To  what  extent  is  this  concept  an  accurate  description  of  values  in  US  society?    Explain.      According  to  Myrdal,  the  American  dilemma  is  the  fact  that  the  American  ideal  (equality  and  human  dignity)  conflicts  with  their  actions  (institutionalized  discriminations).    He  further  states  that  most  Americans  are  willing  to  eliminate  discriminations  because  they  realize  the  inconsistency  with  their  ideals.    Based  on  what  I  have  read,  I  would  say  this  is  fairly  accurate  for  reasons  I  addressed  in  question  #4.      

12) How  do  preferred  ways  of  learning  and  knowing  among  women  and  students  of  color  often  influence  their  experiences  in  the  schools  as  they  are  currently  structured?    In  what  ways  can  school  reform  help  make  the  school  environment  more  consistent  with  the  learning  and  cognitive  styles  of  women  and  students  of  color?      According  to  research  studies,  most  women  prefer  learning  from  first  hand-­‐observations  while  men  tend  to  prefer  separate  and  individualistic  learning  methods.    Mexican  American  students  prefer  person  knowledge  as  well,  and  respond  positively  to  information  presented  in  a  humanized/story  format.        In  addition  to  common  differentiation  methods,  I  think  the  Common  Core  changes  are  being  made  in  an  effort  to  accommodate  learning  preferences  such  as  these.        

13) In  what  ways  does  the  process  of  identifying  and  labeling  students  with  mental  retardation  discriminate  against  groups  such  as  African  Americans  and  Latinos?      The  identification  of  African  Americans  and  Latinos  as  mentally  retarded  is  unfair  because  methods  for  labeling  them  as  such  are  based  on  intelligence  tests  that  reflect  the  skills  and  knowledge  of  the  macroculture.    The  macroculture  is  White,  Male,  and  middle-­‐to-­‐upper  class.    The  tests  also  emphasize  verbal  skills  and  knowledge  that  are  very  different  from  their  own  microculture.      

   

14) In  what  ways  can  the  characteristics  of  a  group  help  us  understand  an  individual’s  behavior?    In  what  ways  are  group  characteristics  limited  in  explaining  an  individual’s  behavior?      According  to  sociologists,  studying  a  group’s  characteristics  cannot  predict  an  individual’s  behavior,  but  it  can  indicate  what  is  probable.    This  is  because  groups  possess  certain  characteristics  that  transcend  the  lives  of  individuals.    Religion  can  be  one  of  the  most  influential  indicators.    Ethnicity  also  becomes  important  when  an  individual  goes  from  being  part  of  the  majority  to  the  minority.      

©  Elizabeth  Wood            January  2013  

The  reason  knowing  characteristics  of  a  group  is  somewhat  limited  is  because  human  will  has  to  be  a  factor  as  well.    Not  every  individual  within  a  group  makes  the  same  decision.      

15) How  do  variables  such  as  race,  class,  and  gender  interact  to  influence  the  behavior  of  students?    Give  examples  to  support  your  response.      According  to  the  text,  some  general  observations  have  been  made  about  students’  behaviors.    Middle-­‐class  students  and  higher-­‐class  Mexican  American  students  tend  to  be  more  field-­‐independent  than  lower-­‐class  students  and  lower-­‐class  Mexican  Americans.    African  Americans  students  tend  to  be  more  group  orientated  than  White  students.    Overall,  females  also  are  prone  to  groups  as  opposed  to  males.        

16) What  is  meant  by  “social  construction  of  categories?”    In  what  ways  are  concepts  such  as  gender,  race,  social  class,  and  exceptionality  social  categories?    “Social  construction  of  categories”  means  that  society  has  created  these  groupings.    The  categories  

include  gender,  race,  ethnicity,  class,  and  exceptionality.    Gender  is  a  social  category  because  even  though  it’s  usually  defined  by  physical  characteristics,  in  common  day  it  is  seen  as  a  mental  state  of  being.    There  are  many  cases  of  a  person  being  born  one  gender  and  changing  to  accommodate  what  they  feel  they  truly  are.      

 Race  is  defined  by  physical  characteristics,  while  ethnicity  refers  to  the  microculture  found  within  the  

race.    The  social  part  to  these  categories  are  the  perceptions  and  values  of  each  group.        Whether  a  person  is  exceptional  or  disabled  is  socially  constructed.    In  terms  of  exception-­‐ability,  while  

there  are  students  who  are  classified  as  gifted  with  special  talents  and  abilities,  others  are  labeled  as  such  because  their  parents  are  smart  or  yield  some  kind  of  power  in  the  community/school.    Therefore,  these  students  are  “exceptional”  simply  because  society  decrees  it.      

 17) List  and  define  5  dimensions  of  multicultural  education.  

 The  five  dimensions  of  multicultural  education  are:  1) Content  Integration  2) The  Knowledge  Construction  Process  3) Prejudice  Reduction  4) An  Equity  Pedagogy  5) An  Empowering  School  Culture