(1995). The Bell Curve: A Commentary. Essay Review. PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning, v4 p71-77. The authors of The Bell Curve have been accused of everything from racism to poor research. However, the book could have a tremendous impact on the role of intelligence in social science and social policy. It is especially relevant for adult education programs geared to the less fortunate, and it is appropriate to discuss the merits of the book from an informed position. (Author)…
(2003). Compelling Diversity through Discrimination. Academic Questions, v16 n2 p46-54 Jun. Wilfrid Laurier University would consider only women for an opening in the psychology department, and credentials be damned. Clive Seligman protested on the grounds that the university's blatant attempt at social engineering fatally interferes with the epistemological mission of higher education. It confuses academic merit with biology, he argued–a practice that is elsewhere labeled "sexism" and "racism." (Contains 13 notes.)… [Direct]
(1977). The Human Relations Code: Teacher Certification Guidelines. A new standard has been issued by the state of Wisconsin to insure that each of the teachers it certifies is able to teach children from diverse racial, economic, and religious backgrounds, who may differ from the teacher and/or each other in culture, customs, lifestyle, language, etc. To insure that this aim is achieved, education majors are required to take courses that will prepare them, as teachers, to acquire certain basic knowledge of human relationships. Six objectives are listed in the code: (1) development of attitudes, skills, and techniques so that knowledge of human relations can be translated into learning experiences for students; (2) a study of the values, life styles, and contributions of racial, cultural, and economic groups in American society; (3) an analysis of the forces of racism, prejudice, and discrimination in American life and the impact of these forces on majority and minority groups; (4) experiences in which teachers have opportunities to examine their… [PDF]
(2009). Balancing the Values of Ethnic Studies and Academe: Exploring Efforts to Advance the Organizational Stability of American Indian and Asian American Studies. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles. This study examines Ethnic Studies' efforts to gain institutional stability at the university. The issue is explored through a qualitative, multi-case study of Ethnic Studies units, specifically American Indian and Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and University of California, Los Angeles. To gain insight into their functioning, interviews were conducted with faculty, students, and staff affiliated with these academic units. The study is grounded in two frameworks: racial formation theory illuminates the development of Ethnic Studies as a social movement and the campus racial climate framework underscores the specific racial dynamics that influence Ethnic Studies' standing in academe. This study's findings reveal the challenges Ethnic Studies faces in achieving success given its marginal position in higher education. Organizational stability, especially in the form of degree programs and department status, can counter elements of Ethnic Studies'… [Direct]
(2006). Coloring the Academic Landscape: Faculty of Color Breaking the Silence in Predominantly White Colleges and Universities. American Educational Research Journal, v43 n4 p701-736 Win. This article, based on a larger, autoethnographic qualitative research project, focuses on the first-hand experiences of 27 faculty of color teaching in predominantly White colleges and universities. The 27 faculty represented a variety of institutions, disciplines, academic titles, and ranks. They identified themselves as African American, American Indian, Asian, Asian American, Latina/o, Native Pacific Islander, and South African. This article reports on the predominant themes of the narratives shared by these faculty of color: teaching, mentoring, collegiality, identity, service, and racism. These themes, consonant with findings from the research literature, can be used to offer suggestions and recommendations for the recruitment and retention of faculty of color in higher education…. [Direct]
(2008). Online Communication and Adolescent Relationships. Future of Children, v18 n1 p119-146 Spr. Over the past decade, technology has become increasingly important in the lives of adolescents. As a group, adolescents are heavy users of newer electronic communication forms such as instant messaging, e-mail, and text messaging, as well as communication-oriented Internet sites such as blogs, social networking, and sites for sharing photos and videos. Kaveri Subrahmanyam and Patricia Greenfield examine adolescents' relationships with friends, romantic partners, strangers, and their families in the context of their online communication activities. The authors show that adolescents are using these communication tools primarily to reinforce existing relationships, both with friends and romantic partners. More and more they are integrating these tools into their \offline\ worlds, using, for example, social networking sites to get more information about new entrants into their offline world. Subrahmanyam and Greenfield note that adolescents' online interactions with strangers, while not… [PDF]
(1976). Options in Education, Transcript for February 23, 1976: Conflict in Theory, Conflict in Research, and Conflict in Practice. "Options in Education" is a radio news program which focuses on issues and developments in education. This transcript contains discussions of conflict in theory–education in America, difficulties in dramatizing today's racism, and children's relationships in a predominately black school; conflict in research–marijuana and sexual response, teaching basic skills through drama, and an energy conservation, youth training program; and conflict in practice–women in education and preparing women for administrative advancement. Participants in the program include John Merrow and Wendy Blair, moderators; author Jonathon Kozol; Kenneth B. Clark; Gretchen Schafft; Harris Rubin; Virgil Harwood; Joe Janetti; and Virginia Nordin. (JM)… [PDF]
(1976). Guest Editorial: Black Colleges–Bicentennial Offers Little Hope. Journal of Negro Education, 45, 3, 219-224, Sum 76. Argues that as the black college enters the third century, like black people, it must face several critical issues. First, Federal legislation has failed in the past to make the dream for equal opportunity a reality. Second, the resolution of many deeply rooted social problems both in and out of education is distant. And third, racism is still prevalent in the minds of legislators and regents. (Author/JM)…
(2002). Promoting Cultural/Racial Understanding Using Storytelling: Lessons from the Study Circle. Journal of Intergroup Relations, v29 n3 p66-73 Fall. Explains how study circles provide an effective method for discussion, education, and understanding regarding race and culture, describing the study circle concept and looking at lessons learned from participant observation in a racism study circle. Concludes that every U.S. citizen should participate in a study circle that addresses some political or social concern in order to learn to value diversity on interpersonal, group, organizational, and global levels. (SM)…
(2003). \Ain't I a Woman, Too?\: Tracing the Experiences of African American Women in Graduate School. Journal of Negro Education, v72 n3 p252-68 Sum. Examined the experiences of African American women pursuing graduate degrees in education over 10 years. Survey and focus group data showed very little difference between women who had graduated and those still in school. Women faced challenges in deciding whether or not to attend graduate school and dealing with racism. Respondents were self-confident and secure and were vocal about their ties to their black communities and families. (SM)…
(1976). Beyond Uniculturalism. No. 1: Teachers Making a Difference through Visions, Hopes and Skills [And] No. 3: Understanding Multicultural Equality [And] No. 4: Schools and Educators Who Rate [And] No. 5: Action Guide [And] No. 7: Bibliography. The materials are designed to help teachers formulate, plan, and work for multiculturalism in schools. The first part of the unit contains a guide to help elementary and secondary teachers engage in multicultural education and eliminate racism and sexism in the schools. It discusses how teachers can make a difference and helps them assess their own goals, awareness, knowledge, and skills which can contribute to multicultural education. The second part of the unit, \Understanding Multicultural Equality,\ provides examples of uniculturalism in the schools. This implies the imposition of the values of white male, middle class dominated society. Part three, \Schools and Educators Who Rate,\ outlines the roles of key groups responsible for developing multicultural schools and furnishes a checklist for rating existing skills and understandings. The Action Guide in part 4 lists strategies which individuals or groups can use to move beyond uniculturalism. The booklet concludes with a… [PDF]
(1972). A Challenge to Social Work Education: Inclusion of Content on Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the Curriculum. Social Work Education for Economically Disadvantaged Groups in Texas. Occasional Paper. This article is one of a series presented at workshops focusing on the development of social work curriculum relevant to the minority community and minority group experiences. Briefly commenting upon the nature of the changing times, the author notes the two major social problems of racism and poverty, emphasizing the importance of the need for social work education to understand the parameters of ethnic differences. Further, curriculum needs to be reassessed to embody these differences. In addition to four stated major objectives of social work education curriculum there are six functions of content and learnings vis-a-vis ethnicity and racism. Social work education curriculum needs to incorporate into the curriculum content which: 1) provides accurate information about the historical developments and social contributions of racial minorities; 2) prepares the student for useful service in minority communities; 3) assists students in overcoming racists attitudes by imparting new… [PDF]
(2007). U. of Delaware Abandons Sessions on Diversity. Chronicle of Higher Education, v54 n12 pA1 Nov. The University of Delaware spent years refining its residence-life education program. One week of public criticism unraveled it. Late last month, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a free-speech group, accused the university of promoting specific views on race, sexuality, and morality in a series of discussions held in dormitories. The program was designed to build understanding among diverse students, but some participants complained that it told them how to think and pried into their beliefs with questions like "When did you discover your sexual identity?" In an October 29 letter to Delaware's president, the group, known as FIRE, called the program "systematic thought reform" and urged the university to suspend it. Three days later, Delaware complied. For decades, residence-life programs have organized group sessions on racism, sexism, and homophobia. Research shows those exercises can help broaden students' cultural awareness and diminish… [Direct]
(2006). Building and Sustaining Short-Term Cross-Cultural Immersion Programs in Teacher Education. AILACTE Journal, v3 p11-24 Fall. Cross-cultural experiences in teacher education are an important part of multicultural education because they allow preservice teachers to examine their world view and develop culturally sensitive dispositions critical for teaching in our diverse society. Research has shown that effective cross-cultural experiences can lead to personal development, cultural understanding and sensitivity, and openness to cultural diversity. This article will describe how one college has successfully maintained a cross-cultural program for all education students since 1999. It will also discuss the effect of two immersion experiences on students' knowledge and dispositions about cultures different from their own. These experiences led to personal development, knowledge about other cultures, and more global understandings and allowed students to experience what it is like to be an outsider with language and communication barriers. Students also examined their world view and preconceived stereotypes as… [Direct]
(2006). Citizenship Education as Placebo: "Standards", Institutional Racism and Education Policy. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, v1 n1 p83-104. Citizenship education is now a required component of the national curriculum that must be taught by all state-funded schools in England. It is constantly highlighted by policy makers as a major innovation that promotes social cohesion in general, and race equality in particular. At the same time, however, the government has continued to pursue a so-called "standards" agenda that emphasizes a hierarchy of schools based on their students' performance in high stakes tests and promotes increased selection that is known to disadvantage Black students. Consequently, the principal education policy strategies are themselves revealed as potentially racist by the government's own definition. It is in this context that the promotion of citizenship education can be seen as a public policy placebo, that is a pretend treatment for institutional racism that gives the impression of action but is, in fact, without substance or effect. (Contains 2 figures and 20 notes.)… [Direct]