(1998). Read with Me: The Use of Cultural Role Models in Children's Literature. This study examined the portrayal of the elderly within African American, Latino, and Native American cultures in picture books for children ages 3 to 8 years. Thirty books were selected from libraries and book stores and examined using guidelines from three sources: (1) "Ageism in Literature Analysis," a 15-item rating scale; (2) "Stereotypes Worksheet" from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Anti-Bias Curriculum; and (3) "Ten Items for Analyzing Children's Books for Sexism and Racism." The results indicated that the Ageism scores from the "Ageism in Literature Analysis" form ranged from 1.93 to 3.0 (fair to good). The NAEYC "Stereotype Worksheet" and the "Ten Items" form resulted in few biases found in the children's books. An annotated bibliography notes biases, positive portrayals, and the ageism score for each book. The screening process used by the reviewer and the need to update the… [PDF]
(2005). Magnet Schools: No Longer Famous, but Still Intact. Education Next, v5 n2 p44-49 Spr. It was in 1968, when Martin Luther King had been assassinated, and American cities were erupting in flames because of King's violent death and the decades-long smoldering resentments from racism, that the nation's first "magnet" school opened in Tacoma, Washington. The following year, 1969, the country's second magnet school opened–this one, more appropriately, in Boston, soon to be an epicenter of the race-based school wars. Within a decade there would be hundreds of such magnet schools all over the country. The idea was simple enough: draw white students to predominantly black schools by offering a special education with a focus on a particular aspect of the curriculum, such as performing arts, or Montessori, or advanced math, science, and technology. Federal and state agencies, anxious to avoid the growing messiness of coercive integration measures like forced busing, directed new resources toward these magnets, encouraging their pioneering academic programs and giving… [Direct]
(2002). Social Alienation of African American College Students: Implications for Social Support Systems. Quality of life at an academic institution includes students perception of the university environment, perceptions of their cultural fit within the environment and stress created by environmental context. African American students perceived their predominantly white university more negatively than their white counterparts. Understanding the environmental context and academic comfort of African Americans in higher education is particularly important when personal academic achievement is sought. Evidence suggests that African Americans attending Predominantly White Colleges and Universities (PWCUs) experience significantly greater levels of overt racism, feelings of isolation, personal dissatisfaction and stress. If the environment at PWCUs is unwelcoming and intolerant of African Americans it can lead to depression and social alienation. Social alienation plays a significant role in adjustment to college as evidenced in research. Research will be cited that students of social… [PDF]
(1999). Race Is…Race Isn't: Critical Race Theory and Qualitative Studies in Education. Critical race theory offers a way to understand how ostensibly race-neutral structures in education–knowledge, merit, objectivity, and "good education"–in fact help form and police the boundaries of white supremacy and racism. Critical race theory can be used to deconstruct the meaning of "educational achievement," to recognize that the classroom is a central site for the construction of social and racial power. It can also be used to provide the theoretical justification for oppositional "counterstories" that challenge educational assumptions from an outsider's perspective. The educational studies in this book integrate counter-storytelling with qualitative research to open new areas of inquiry. Following "Introduction to Critical Race Theory in Educational Research and Praxis" (Daria Roithmayr), the chapters are: (1) "Just What Is Critical Race Theory and What's It Doing in a 'Nice' Field Like Education?" (Gloria…
(1999). The Role of Social Work in Advancing the Practice of Indigenous Education: Obstacles and Promises in Empowerment-Oriented Social Work Practice. The mission of social work is to help people meet their basic needs and enhance their well-being. Through a strong empowerment orientation, the profession can aid people vulnerable to oppression as a result of racism, discrimination, and poverty. Social work can be a powerful force in advancing the practice of Indigenous education. Social workers and educators working together can use empowerment-oriented strategies to enable Indigenous people to influence educational decisions and practices that affect their lives. These strategies include building strong collaborative relationships with parents, teachers, students, and school administrators to increase their personal and political power; moving away from models that blame the student, family, or culture for Indigenous students' low academic achievement, high dropout rates, and nonconforming behavior; and overcoming oppressive structural aspects of school and community life that create disappointing outcomes for Indigenous… [PDF]
(2001). Resting Lightly on Mother Earth: The Aboriginal Experience in Urban Educational Settings. This book examines the differential educational experiences of Aboriginal peoples in urban centers–primarily in Canada, but also in Australia and the United States. Major themes of the book are maintenance of individual and collective Aboriginal identity, the impact on that identity of disconnection from the land, spirituality as the key to understanding Aboriginal world views, and the effects of a colonial legacy. The book's four sections illustrate the range of urban Aboriginal responses to city life, focusing on an overview of Aboriginal student experiences in urban intercultural classrooms; the stories of students who are particularly marginalized by poverty, cultural dislocation, and racism; the identity-affirming work of the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program; and interviews with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal educators who have built intercultural coalitions through their work. Following an introduction by Angela Ward and Rita Bouvier, the 10 chapters are:…
(2002). Missing ConneXions: The Career Dynamics and Welfare Needs of Black and Minority Ethnic Young People at the Margins. An evaluation addressed how existing services in England, especially the ConneXions career guidance service, reach or overlook groups of young people at the margins–those from minority ethnic groups who experience social exclusion and disaffection. Material from 2 sets of indepth interviews with 64 young people (most 16 and 17 years old) in 2 fieldwork sites was analyzed. Findings indicated nearly half of the sample had been subject to exclusion from school of some form; fairly systematic truancy was the norm; for almost half, disaffection began long before they left school, often provoked by traumatic events at home; young people who are NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) are potential problems for the system; young people within the public care system experience additional difficulties, including racism; young people live on the margins of society after they leave school and are often unknown to official agencies; and official agencies were often profoundly…
(1978). American Ethnic Groups. The essays in this volume focus on the historical and social evolution of six American ethnic groups. Thomas Sowell discusses similarities and differences in the experiences of antebellum "free persons of color," emancipated slaves and their descendants, and West Indian immigrants, and examines trends in the socioeconomic status of black Americans. In an essay on Chinese and Japanese Americans, William Peterson reviews the histories of their immigration to the United States and addresses the themes of social mobility, social pathology, and acculturation. Alice Kessler-Harris and Virginia Yans-McLaughlin similarly explore the economic and social mobility of three European immigrant groups, the Irish, the Italians, and the Jews, explaining their differential mobility by economic, educational, cultural and political factors, as well as racism. Variation in income among different ethnic groups is examined by Eric Hanushek. This author considers educational factors and local…
(1970). Planning Educational Change. Volume 3: Integrating the Desegregated School. This manual has been designed to assist teachers and principals to achieve integrated schools, primary attention being focused on the problems of racial integration–the issues between blacks and whites in the schools. Chapters deal with the following: the meaning of integration and of planning for school change, delineating a six-stage scheme for this process; information for principals and teachers about the important diagnostic stage; the role and activities of the classroom teacher, especially in regard to academic instruction and race relations in racially mixed classes; the principal as the school's administrative and educational leader and his relationship to the various people and groups important in effecting integration; and, the change processes necessary for the attainment of quality education in any school and their particular application to integrated schools. An annotated bibliography summarizing the issues and perspectives expressed in the manual is included…. [PDF]
(1983). History in Black and White: An Analysis of South African School History Textbooks. Designed to examine the way that different ethnic groups are presented in South African secondary school history textbooks, this study gives special attention to the extent and nature of ethnic stereotyping in texts and the endorsement of particular social and political attitudes relevant to contemporary South Africa. By using a sociological perspective rather than an historical or educational one, this study focuses less on the historical accuracy or pedagogic merit of textbooks than on the kind of 'world views' being offered and their implications for society as a whole. The first of eight chapters gives an introduction and background to the study. Chapter 2 presents a profile of education in South Africa, while chapters 3 and 4 examine aims and methods of textbook analysis and the distribution of subject matter. Chapters 5 through 7 look at the treatment of topics in detail, i.e., blacks and whites in the early 19th century, South African contemporary history, and social and…
(1990). Pathway to Tomorrow: Preparing Today's Children for Success. All American school children are growing up in a world that makes them significantly \at-risk\ for educational and social failure due to various factors including: poverty, changing family structure, homelessness, hunger, poor health care, prenatal drug and alcohol exposure, increased incidence of child abuse and neglect, teenage pregnancy, racism, and violence in schools and communities. School psychologists are specially trained mental health professionals who work with preschoolers, children, adolescents, teachers, and families. They work with all school personnel to help make education a positive and rewarding experience, and to improve students' academic and social achievements. School psychologists want these things for children, families, and schools: (1) being prepared to learn; (2) safe schools; (3) prevention; (4) access to services for all children and families; (5) involving the family in school; (6) schools must welcome all children; and (7) student success. School…
(1970). Mexican-American Mental Health Issues: Present Realities and Future Strategies. In June 1970, the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education Conference on Mexican American Mental Health Issues was held at Goleta, California Primary goal of the conference was to promote learning, not specific action, program funding, or legislation. Planned by Chicanos, the 3-day conference was aimed at bringing together Chicanos from all over the West who were concerned about mental health. Over 140 Chicanos from 9 western states attended. Some had formal degrees, some were "New Careerists", some were eminent writers, and some were citizens of the barrios. This report consists of eight papers presented at the conference. These are (1) "Institutional Deviance: The Mexican American Experience"; (2) "The Plight of Los Batos in El Barrio"; (3) "El Sentido de la 'Salud Mental' en Los Angeles Del Este" ("The Meaning of 'Mental Health' in East Los Angeles"); (4) "The Impact of Class Discrimination and Racism on the Mental…
(1995). Challenge, Change and Opportunity: Overview, Texts and Agenda. "The Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain: Challenges, Changes, and Opportunities" was a conference organized by the Runnymede Trust in partnership with other organizations to consider changes in multiethnic Britain in recent years, principal challenges and opportunities for the future, and what to do about them. These issues were discussed in general plenary sessions and in specialist workshops concerned with antiracism, identity, immigration and citizenship, law and justice, urban policy, and work and management. Following an overview of the conference, extracts are presented from the following conference papers: (1) "Purpose and Context" (Trevor Phillips); (2) "Setting the Agenda" (Bhikhu Parekh); (3) "Government Policy" (Michael Howard); (4) "Goals and Gains: (Herman Ouseley); (5)"Ethnicity and Complexity" (Tariq Modood); (6) "Concerns in the Inner City" (Pola Uddin); (7) "Renewing Anti-Racism" (David Gillborn);… [PDF]
(2005). "I Had All Kinds of Kids in My Classes, and It Was Fine": Public Schooling in Richmond, California, During World War II. History of Education Quarterly, v45 n4 p538-564 Win. In this article, the author discusses the experiences of Marian Sauer as one of the teachers during World War II. Marian Sauer, began teaching at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Richmond, California, in 1942. During World War II, Richmond's population skyrocketed, as a direct result of homefront mobilization and school enrollments grew six times, dramatically over taxing the capacity of the city's public schools. Simultaneously, emigration transformed the demographic characteristics of Richmond's student population. Plagued by a shortage of classroom space and confronted by a growing number of academically impoverished students, Richmond's public elementary and secondary schools struggled simply to remain in operation throughout the war years. Yet as trying as their working conditions were, Marian Sauer and many of her colleagues considered their racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse pupils in need of a good education and considered it their professional, wartime… [Direct]
(1999). The Emancipation Proclamation for Indian Education: A Passion for Excellence and Justice. This document addresses an educational system that is failing Native American children. Despite the trappings of equality, the system is failing to teach Native American children the essential skills of reading, writing, math, and thinking. The mission in Indian education is to enable each child to reach full potential in spirit, mind, and body by providing essential skills and ensuring that all students achieve or surpass national norms and standards. Fifteen steps are outlined that are necessary to achieve this mission. The first step is to meet students' basic needs, including cleanliness and hunger. Second, physical fitness should be emphasized by establishing programs such as 50 Mile Clubs. Third and fourth, accountability of school boards must increase, and racism must end. Fifth, school leadership must be improved. Suggested techniques include showing inspirational movies at schools and holding rallies with students. The sixth step would be to change the elementary system so… [PDF]