Understanding Human Differences: Multicultural Education for a Diverse America

Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 18
Acknowledgments......Page 23
1. Understanding Ourselves and Others: Clarifying Values and Language......Page 24
What is the Relationship Between a Person’s Values and Behaviors?......Page 25
What Inconsistencies Exist Between American Values and American Behaviors?......Page 26
Are Values Individually Chosen or Are we Taught to Accept Certain Values?......Page 27
How Does the Way Values are Taught Explain the Inconsistency Between Values and Behavior?......Page 28
Why Should Anyone be Concerned About Inconsistencies Between Values and Behavior?......Page 29
What Problems can Interfere With Making Ethical Decisions?......Page 30
How do Negative Attitudes Develop?......Page 31
How does Confirmation Bias Influence People, and can it be Overcome?......Page 32
What are the Differences Among Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality?......Page 33
How have Labels been Used to Define and Control Subordinate Groups?......Page 36
How are Negative Bureaucratic Terms as Harmful as Social Derisive Terms?......Page 38
How has Our Society Responded to Social Problems Experienced by Minority Groups?......Page 39
2. Understanding Prejudice and Its Causes......Page 43
How Widespread is Prejudice?......Page 44
How are Prejudices Reflected in American Media?......Page 45
What Examples of Prejudice Exist in Our Language?......Page 46
What Sexist Terms for Men could be Considered Derisive?......Page 47
How are Prejudices Perpetuated?......Page 48
Causes and Consequences of Prejudice and Discrimination......Page 51
How does Frustration Cause Prejudice?......Page 52
What do Stereotypes have to do with Uncertainty, and How do they Cause Prejudice?......Page 53
How does Competition for Status, Wealth, and Power Cause Prejudice?......Page 55
What Other Forms of Discrimination are a Consequence of Prejudice?......Page 56
Is Prejudice the Main Cause of Discrimination in Society?......Page 57
How is Discrimination Explained by the Institutionalized Discrimination Theory?......Page 58
What can Schools do to Reduce Prejudice?......Page 59
Communication and Conflict......Page 64
How does Assigning Meaning Lead to Conflict?......Page 65
How does Nonverbal Communication Lead to Conflict?......Page 66
What are Other Misconceptions About Communication?......Page 67
How does Effective Communication Occur?......Page 69
What are the Levels of Cultural Awareness?......Page 71
What are Some Communication Style Differences that are Based on Culture?......Page 72
How does Gender Influence Communication Styles?......Page 73
How do Gender Differences in Communication Styles Lead to Misunderstanding and Conflict?......Page 74
Conflict Resolution......Page 75
With so Much Conflict Occurring, How can Conflicts be Resolved?......Page 76
What Values and Skills are Necessary for Conflict Resolution to be Effective?......Page 77
How do People Develop Moral Reasoning Abilities?......Page 78
4. Immigration and Oppression: The Assault on Cultural and Language Diversity......Page 84
Causes of Xenophobia and Nativism in the United States......Page 85
Why were Nativists Anti-Catholic?......Page 86
Why were Nativists Opposed to Radical Immigrants?......Page 87
Why did Nativists Fail to Form a Major Political Party?......Page 88
How did Racism Affect Nativist Attitudes and Actions?......Page 89
What Groups were Affected by the Addition of Racism to Xenophobia?......Page 90
The Paradox of Xenophobia and Nativism in a Nation of Immigrants......Page 91
How did the Eugenics Movement Influence Anti-Immigrant Attitudes?......Page 92
How is the English Only Movement an Example of Xenophobic Behavior?......Page 93
What American Nativist Attitudes and Actions are Evident Today?......Page 94
How do Immigrants Today Contribute to the American Economy?......Page 98
What Myths About Immigrants do Many Americans Believe?......Page 99
The Value of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity......Page 102
Why do Immigrants Tend to Lose their Native Language?......Page 103
What Alternative Pedagogical Strategy have American Educators Proposed?......Page 104
Have Research Studies Identified Effective Approaches to ELL Instruction?......Page 105
Why Should Educators be Advocates for Bilingual Programs?......Page 106
5. Race and Oppression: The Experiences of People of Color in America......Page 109
What did European Settlers Fail to Learn from Native Americans?......Page 110
What Relationships did Colonists have with Native People?......Page 112
Why are Indian Treaties Still Important Today?......Page 113
What are Other Contemporary Issues Affecting Indigenous People?......Page 114
Where and How did the British Procure Africans?......Page 116
How did Africans Resist the Oppression of Slavery?......Page 117
Who Opposed Slavery and What did they do?......Page 118
Did Blacks Play a Role in Shaping the New South?......Page 119
What did Du Bois want for Black Americans?......Page 120
What was the Harlem Renaissance?......Page 121
Did the New Deal Programs Help Black Americans?......Page 122
What Happened to African Americans After the War?......Page 123
What did the Civil Rights Movement Achieve for African Americans?......Page 124
Who Employed Chinese Immigrants?......Page 125
What Kind of Hostile Actions did the Chinese Encounter?......Page 126
Where were Japanese Immigrants Employed?......Page 127
What Actions were Taken Against the Japanese During World War II?......Page 128
What Other Asian Immigrants Faced Anti-Asian Attitudes?......Page 129
Hispanic Americans/Latinos/as......Page 130
What was the Experience Like for Mexicans Immigrating to the United States?......Page 131
What were the Zoot Suit Riots?......Page 132
How did Mexican Americans Respond to Discrimination After the War?......Page 133
What Effect did Becoming Part of the United States have on Puerto Rico?......Page 134
Why has the Experience of Cubans Been so Different from that of Puerto Ricans?......Page 135
What Happened to the Cubans Who Came to the United States?......Page 136
Why have Many Americans Objected to Latino Immigration?......Page 137
6. Religion and Oppression: The Struggle for Religious Freedom......Page 142
How did the First Colonists Deal with Religious Diversity?......Page 143
How was the Principle of Religious Freedom Established in All the Colonies?......Page 144
What was the Relationship Between Deism and Christianity?......Page 145
Why wasn’t Religious Freedom Guaranteed in the Constitution?......Page 146
Did the First Amendment Establish Religious Freedom in the New Nation?......Page 147
Was Any Group Actively Persecuted for their Religious Beliefs?......Page 148
Why was Hostility Directed Toward Catholics?......Page 149
What were the Philadelphia Bible Riots?......Page 150
How did Religious Diversity Increase Following the Civil War?......Page 151
How did the 1928 Election Demonstrate Anti-Catholic Prejudice?......Page 152
Why were Jews Regarded as a Separate Race?......Page 153
In What Ways was Anti-Semitism Promoted?......Page 154
The Impact of Immigration Reform on Religious Diversity......Page 155
How have Americans Responded to the Increasing Religious Diversity?......Page 156
How have K–12 Schools Taught Students About the Concept of Religious Freedom?......Page 159
How Can Public Schools Teach About Religion in a Way that Respects All Religions?......Page 161
Diversity in the United States......Page 164
How have Members of the Majority Responded to Diverse Groups?......Page 165
Attitudes About Diversity......Page 166
What does it Mean to have an Anglo Conformity Perspective?......Page 167
What does it Mean to Describe America as a Melting Pot?......Page 168
How is the Separatist Perspective Negative?......Page 169
What Attitudes About Diversity does Pluralism Promote?......Page 170
What are Some Arguments from People Who are Opposed to Pluralism?......Page 171
Why Should American Society Become Pluralistic?......Page 172
Valuing Individual Differences......Page 174
Must One be Actively Involved in Change to be a Pluralist?......Page 175
What Kinds of Activities can Create Social Change?......Page 176
8. Racism: Confronting a Legacy of White Domination in America......Page 181
Cultural Racism......Page 182
What is Aversive Racism?......Page 183
In What ways are All People Affected by Individual Racism?......Page 184
How does the Ideology of Individualism Reinforce Individual Racism?......Page 185
What are Some Examples of Rationalizations Justifying Individual Racism?......Page 186
Institutional Racism......Page 188
How does Institutional Racism Influence Hiring Decisions?......Page 189
How has Institutional Racism Influenced the Development of Segregated Neighborhoods?......Page 190
How does Institutional Racism Occur in K-12 Schools?......Page 192
What is the Nature of Institutional Racism in Higher Education?......Page 193
How does Institutional Racism Affect Politics?......Page 194
How can Institutional Racism be Reduced in the United States?......Page 195
How do Advocates and Critics Assess the Effectiveness of Affirmative Action Programs?......Page 196
What are Some Consequences of Racial Discrimination?......Page 197
What Remedies have Been Proposed to Address Institutional Racism?......Page 199
9. Classism: Misperceptions and Myths About Income, Wealth, and Poverty......Page 202
What Happened to the “Religious Obligation” to Help the Poor?......Page 203
Why were People Who had Jobs so Close to Poverty?......Page 204
What was the Response to the Needs of Poor People?......Page 205
How did Unions Ultimately Help Workers to Gain Higher Salaries?......Page 206
What was the Outcome of the New Deal?......Page 207
Individual Classism......Page 208
How are Children from Low-Income Families Disadvantaged in Schools?......Page 209
How can Schools Make a Difference in the Lives of Low-Income Children?......Page 211
How has the Federal Government Addressed the Disadvantages for Low-Income Students?......Page 213
Why Should Problems Outside of School Affect a Child’s Performance in School?......Page 214
What are Some Myths About Welfare Recipients?......Page 215
Why is the Disparity Between the Richest and Poorest Americans Increasing?......Page 217
How Large is the Disparity of Wealth in the United States?......Page 219
How do Income Levels Determine Social Class in the United States?......Page 220
Who Suffers Most from Poverty?......Page 221
Ageism......Page 222
How has Ageism Manifested Itself in American Society?......Page 223
Is there Evidence to Support Claims of Prejudiced Attitudes Toward Youth?......Page 225
What are Some Economic Consequences of Ageism for Both the Elderly and Youth?......Page 226
How do Institutions Exploit Low-Income Families?......Page 227
How do Businesses Discriminate Against Low-Income People?......Page 228
What can Federal and State Governments do to Assist Families Living in Poverty?......Page 229
10. Sexism: Where the Personal Becomes Political......Page 233
What Gender Biases did Women Confront in the Earliest Years of the United States?......Page 234
What Progress and What Resistance to Women’s Rights Occurred in the Early Twentieth Century?......Page 235
What Role did the Media Play in Women Being Forced Out of their Jobs?......Page 236
What do Studies Say About Who Benefits from Marriage?......Page 237
What Sexist Messages Still Exist in American Culture and How are they Being Addressed?......Page 238
How does the Culture’s Image of Ideal Beauty Adversely Affect Women?......Page 239
What does it Mean to be a “Male Chauvinist” or a “Feminist”?......Page 241
What Kind of Abuse do Women Encounter in the United States?......Page 242
How has Rape been Misunderstood in the United States?......Page 243
Institutional Sexism......Page 244
Why are Men Earning More than Women in the Workforce?......Page 245
What are Economic Consequences of Institutional Sexism for Women?......Page 247
How is Sexual Harassment a Significant Problem for Women in the Workforce?......Page 248
Are American Employers Following Sexual Harassment Guidelines?......Page 249
How Much of a Problem is Sexual Harassment in the Schools?......Page 250
What Evidence Indicates that Gender Equity Issues are Being Addressed in Schools and Society?......Page 251
11. Heterosexism: Transforming Homosexuality from Deviant to Different......Page 255
How did the Kinsey Report Challenge the Heterosexual Assumption?......Page 256
What was the Impact of the Kinsey Report?......Page 257
What Historical Evidence has Described the Existence of Homosexuality?......Page 258
How have Attitudes of the American People Changed Concerning Homosexuality?......Page 260
Individual Heterosexism......Page 262
What Groups are Included in the LGBT Community?......Page 263
What Examples of Violence Against LGBT People have Been Reported?......Page 264
What are Some Myths About Homosexuality?......Page 265
Is the Demand for LGBT Rights Really a Demand for Special Privileges?......Page 268
Why do Same-Sex Couples Want Legal Recognition for Domestic Partnerships?......Page 270
If Domestic Partnerships were Recognized Throughout the United States, Would Same-Sex Couples Still Want to Get Married?......Page 271
Why have Gay Men and Lesbians Always Been Excluded from Military Service?......Page 272
Why Should LBGT People be Encouraged to Become Teachers?......Page 274
12. Ableism: Disability Does Not Mean Inability......Page 278
Cultural Ableism......Page 279
What are the Historical Perceptions of People with Disabilities?......Page 280
How do Scholars Describe a Disability Culture?......Page 282
Individual Ableism......Page 283
What Assumptions are Made About People with Disabilities?......Page 284
What are Some Current Controversies About Labeling Children?......Page 285
Why were People with Disabilities Placed in Institutions?......Page 286
What Evidence Exists that Negative Attitudes Prevailed in Institutions and in Society?......Page 288
What is the Cost of Care for People with Disabilities?......Page 289
How does the U.S. Government Provide Support for People with Disabilities?......Page 290
How does the United States Support People with Disabilities Who Want to Live Independently?......Page 291
What are Some Examples of Discrimination Against People with Disabilities Living in Communities?......Page 292
How difficult is it to change people’s attitudes?......Page 297
13. Pluralism in Schools: The Promise of Multicultural Education......Page 300
What does it Mean for Education to be Called Multicultural?......Page 301
What is an Appropriate Definition for Multicultural Education?......Page 302
What is the Role of the Essentialist Teacher in Helping Students Learn?......Page 303
Why are Students not Learning in Essentialist Schools?......Page 304
Why is it Necessary to Take a Conceptual Approach to Curriculum?......Page 305
What is the Hidden Curriculum?......Page 306
How do Multicultural Educators Describe Learning?......Page 307
What Must Teachers do to Implement a Multicultural Education Approach?......Page 308
What Specific Instructional Strategies are Recommended for Teachers?......Page 310
How can Multicultural Education Help to Reduce Student Prejudice?......Page 312
Multicultural Education as a Context for Culturally Responsive Teaching......Page 313
How does Culturally Responsive Teaching Address Multicultural Education Goals?......Page 314
Which Students Benefit from Culturally Responsive Teaching?......Page 315
What Characteristics are Necessary to be a Culturally Responsive Teacher?......Page 316
What Actual Classroom Experiences Illustrate Culturally Responsive Teaching?......Page 317
What Other Educational Reforms are Being Implemented?......Page 319
14. Pluralism in Society: Creating Unity in a Diverse America......Page 325
Federal Government......Page 326
What Limitations have the Courts Placed on Affirmative Action Programs?......Page 327
What was the “Set Aside” Strategy for Minority-Owned Businesses?......Page 328
What are Some Criticisms of Diversity Goals in Higher Education?......Page 329
What are the Benefits of Increasing Diversity Among College Faculty and in Course Content?......Page 330
What have Diversity Advocates Achieved and What Issues Persist?......Page 331
Corporate and Small Business......Page 332
What has Been the Impact of Discrimination Lawsuits Against Corporations?......Page 333
What have Corporations Done to Increase their Diversity and Create a Positive Work Environment?......Page 334
How Effective are Diversity Training Programs?......Page 335
What Diversity Problems Persist?......Page 336
How Diverse is the Work Force in Mass Media?......Page 337
What Impact has Digital Media Had on Mass Media?......Page 338
Military Services......Page 341
What Problems had to be Addressed Because of the Military’s Decision to Integrate?......Page 342
What Gender Issues have Required Military Leaders to Consider New Policies?......Page 343
How has the Military Dealt With Other Forms of Diversity Such as Religion and Sexual Orientation?......Page 344
Is there Diversity Among Military Leaders?......Page 345
References......Page 350
Index......Page 380