Culture and Diversity Chapter 5

Statistics and Definitions ¼ poverty Under age of three = 1/3  50% of African Americans children are poor US poor are almost 50% higher than any other developed Western nation Children growing up in poverty are twice as likely to be retained 1/3 lives in a one parent home (usually mother) Minorities will increase by 2020 By 2050 no majority or minority groups Definitions –Culture = knowledge, values & attitudes that rule behaviors –Melting pot = absorption and assimilation  Cultural deficit model –Multicultural education: Content integration  example using culture Knowledge construction process  how culture shapes thinking An equity pedagogy  matching teaching styles to students learning styles Prejudice reduction  identifying prejudice and fighting it Empowering school and social culture  celebration!

Social Class Differences SES = Relative standing in society based on income occupation education home health neighborhood college power Who are the Poor? Less than $20,000 for family of 4 Racial differences Immigrants SES & Achievement are closely related: poor health care low expectations low self esteem learned helplessness peer influences resistant culture tracking childrearing styles home environment resources stress Opposite of the “Flynn Effect”

Ethnic and Racial Differences Stereotype Threat = extra emotional and and cognitive burden confirming stereotype that Others have about you Short term effects—tests Long term effects  misidentification or self defeating strategies instead of coping strategies Combating stereotype threat Legacy of Discrimination Development of Prejudice (age 6)  us and them Authoritarian Personality Stereotypes Continuing Discrimination School Achievement Changing Demographics: Ethnicity = Cultural Heritage Race = common biological characteristics Minority Group= socially disadvantaged Cultural Conflict Cultural Compatibility

1. Get in groups of 4 2. Each group develop 3 questions from the information in your text of the concepts reviewed today 3. Let’s discuss them in class

Language Differences in the Classroom Dialects & Teaching Code switching to fit situation Dialect (particular group) vs. standard speech (use of Ebonics) Dialect & Pronunciation Endings/possessions/ Homonyms & gender dialects Bilingualism ESL LEP vs. ELL Bilingual Education: Immersion Transition Maintenance Becoming Bilingual Politics Semi-lingual Research in Bilingual Education: Scaffolding/mediation/feedback Background knowledge  challenge Involvement and respect

Gender Differences Gender Role Identity Beliefs Androgeny - instrumental and expressive Gender role stereotyping Homosexuality Starting during preschool Society Gender Schema What it means to be male or female Influences processing social Information  attention & memory Influence self esteem Gender Biases  curriculum and classrooms Gender differences and mental abilities  few are found But after graduation males make more $$ Reading at the elementary school—>for girls Advanced math and spatial abilities for gifted boys Advanced placement classes  more males

Participation structures  formal and informal classroom participation rules Sources of misunderstandings –Eye contact –Wait time –Knowledge of pragmantics All students achieve academic success Develop and maintain cultural competence (minority and majority culture) Challenge the status quo Sociolinguistics Culturally-Relevant Pedagogy

Bringing It All Together Meaning and understanding Balance routines with complex skills Give reasons for learning Influence attitudes and beliefs Eliminate unnecessary redundancy Use different sitting arrangements Accommodate to learning styles Teach classroom procedures directly Get to know customs and traditions  detect and eliminate racism

Classroom exercise In groups of 4, please develop three questions for the rest of the chapter.