Creating Classrooms that Address Race and Ethnicity Chapter 6 Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Lay vs Scientific Understanding of Race & Ethnicity Pedagogies: Old and New Teachers do not shy away from the deep-seated influence that race plays in people’s lives. Teachers understand the historical significance of race. Teachers are aware that majority children may not understand the role race plays in their lives. Roles: Old and New Teachers understand their roles as active agents of change. Teachers reach out to individuals and community groups that represent various ethnic and racial groups. Students interact with community groups working to change the status quo.     Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Place of Content Knowledge: Old and New History of diversity in the United States a critical element Concept of “race” often used incorrectly Genotype—shared genetic material Phenotype—visible traits (e.g., skin color) Textbooks often inaccurate and dated Content materials often biased (intentionally or unintentionally) Assessment: Old and New Assessment instruments may be developed and normed with only one race or ethnic group in mind. Assessments should consider the sociocultural context of the learner. Biases and stereotypes Prior experience of the learner Assessments should be varied.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Understanding Prejudice and Racism Ethnocentrism leads people to believe that their own “ways” are good and “natural.” Prejudice implies a lack of thought or care in making a judgment with prejudicial responses being quick, narrow in scope, and based oftentimes on negative emotions rather than accurate information. While racial and ethnic prejudice can be expressed both positively and negatively, in the United States it is most often negative.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

The Functions of Prejudice Adjustment Function—prejudicial attitudes may help one adjust to a complex world Ego-Defensive Function—prejudicial attitudes may protect one’s self-concept Value-Expressive Function—prejudicial attitudes may help demonstrate one’s own self-concept to others Knowledge Function—prejudicial attitudes may reinforce the stereotypical knowledge of one’s ingroup   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Prejudice Formation: The Components of Prejudice The cognitive component refers to the process of categorization. The affective component refers to the feelings that accompany a person’s thoughts about members of a particular group. The behavioral component refers to the discriminatory behavior that people who harbor prejudices direct toward others.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

How Children Learn Prejudice Observation and passive learning from respected elders Membership in a group that excludes others The media, when it reinforces stereotypes Religious fundamentalism that emphasizes exclusive rights to “the truth”   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Extreme Cases of Prejudice Racism—the transformation of prejudicial attitudes through the use of power directed toward those one regards as inferior Hate Groups—any organized body that denigrates select groups of people based on ethnicity, race, religion, or sexual orientation; or that advocates the use of violence against such groups or their members for purposes of scapegoating cont.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

White Privilege—the largely unconscious acceptance by dominant groups of privileges denied to oppressed groups Racial Profiling—law enforcement practices aimed at those who “fit” a particular profile—usually age, ethnicity, and/or race   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Strategies for Prejudice Reduction Both teachers and parents must be comfortable discussing issues of race with children. Critical to reducing prejudice and establishing an interculturally sensitive classroom is the teacher’s understanding of, and ability to integrate, intercultural awareness and prejudice reduction activities into the curriculum. Intercultural sensitivity is not “natural”—cross-cultural contact has historically been accompanied by bloodshed, oppression, or genocide.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Improving Social Contact & Intergroup Relations Equal Status Contact: When those who are brought together perceive they have equal status and equal access to rewards Superordinate Goals: When the purpose of bringing people together cannot be accomplished without the participation of all Encouragement of Intergroup Interaction: All involved in a school must actively encourage and support efforts of teachers and students to experiment with curricular and other innovations to improve the school involvement with differences. Personal Familiarity: People must have the opportunity to get to know the “other” person in ways that render the stereotypic image clearly inaccurate or inappropriate.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Some Cautions in Applying the Contact Hypothesis Many schools are monocultural, providing little opportunity for intergroup contact to occur; in such cases it is best to stress the diversity that is present (e.g., socioeconomic or gender). Equal status contact within the school may conflict with that which occurs outside the school.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Increasing Cognitive Sophistication Persons high in cognitive complexity are able to analyze a situation into many constituent elements and then explore connections and potential relationships among  those elements. Thinking in a critical manner is antithetical to prejudicial thinking, because rather than reacting quickly due to an emotional response, students must search for and examine the reasons behind their thoughts and actions.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Classrooms That Encourage Critical Thought Students feel respected, safe, and trusting. Classroom is a learning community Balance maintained between teacher and student talks Students learn about metacognition--becoming aware of how one has come to a decision Mistakes not seen as failure, but as opportunity to keep learning   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Improving Self-Confidence and Self-Acceptance A sense of self-worth and self-confidence supports the reduction of prejudice. Students feel secure and accepted. Student participation is valued. Students know the boundaries and limits of behavior.   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Increasing Empathy for and Understanding of Others Long-term gains in prejudice reduction require educational activity that actively engages the emotions Writing stories or acting out dramatizations of cross-cultural situations Any activity that enables students to “step into the shoes” of another Classroom simulations that generate “culture shock”   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

Comprehensive Programs That Improve Intergroup Relations Anti-Bias Education for Young Children—a curriculum published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Cooperative Learning—helping children work together in pursuit of the common goal of achieving the objectives of the lesson at hand A World of Difference—a curriculum developed by the Anti-Defamation League to address issues of prejudice and racism Facing History and Ourselves—focus on the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust   Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.