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