Diversity and Equity Diversity and Equity Today:Today:

Meeting the Meeting the ChallengeChallenge

Chapter ThirteenChapter Thirteen

Society in the ClassroomSociety in the Classroom Wider society influences what goes on in Wider society influences what goes on in

the classroom, for better or for worsethe classroom, for better or for worse Racism and sexism present and often Racism and sexism present and often

unchallenged in the structures of unchallenged in the structures of schoolingschooling

Jane Elliott’s Discrimination Day exercisesJane Elliott’s Discrimination Day exercises– Members of a group identified as “superior” Members of a group identified as “superior”

literally tend to act and feel superior; those literally tend to act and feel superior; those identified as “inferior” also react accordinglyidentified as “inferior” also react accordingly

the the Pygmalion effect

The Pygmalion effect, Rosenthal effect, or more commonly known as the "teacher-expectancy effect" refers to situations in which students perform better than other students simply because they are expected to do so. The Pygmalion effect requires a student to internalize the expectations of their superiors. It is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, and in this respect, students with poor expectations internalize their negative label, and those with positive labels succeed accordingly. Within sociology, the effect is often cited with regards to education and social class.

Theories of Social InequalityTheories of Social Inequality Genetic Inferiority TheoryGenetic Inferiority Theory

– argues that biologically some groups of people are inferior argues that biologically some groups of people are inferior intellectually and sociallyintellectually and socially

– interpretations of IQ testing to support this theory continued to interpretations of IQ testing to support this theory continued to be offered and continue to be discredited (Jensen, Schockley, be offered and continue to be discredited (Jensen, Schockley, Herrnstein)Herrnstein)

Cultural Deficit TheoryCultural Deficit Theory– inferior home environments explained low achievement rates inferior home environments explained low achievement rates

of minority childrenof minority children– 1960s, 1970s compensatory education movement1960s, 1970s compensatory education movement– beginning of Head Startbeginning of Head Start– does not take children’s unfamiliarity with the dominant does not take children’s unfamiliarity with the dominant

culture into accountculture into account Critical theoryCritical theory

– questions the whole social order and its power relationsquestions the whole social order and its power relations– looks at the relationship between the child and the school, looks at the relationship between the child and the school,

rather than the child or school in isolationrather than the child or school in isolation

Cultural Difference TheoryCultural Difference Theory

Respects the variety of different cultures Respects the variety of different cultures and assesses the relationships among and assesses the relationships among various cultural groupsvarious cultural groups

Addresses “cultural mismatch”—differing Addresses “cultural mismatch”—differing ways of learning, demonstrating ways of learning, demonstrating knowledge, behaviors and socialization knowledge, behaviors and socialization patterns among studentspatterns among students

Confronts the traditional role of schools as Confronts the traditional role of schools as instruments of social policy that maintain instruments of social policy that maintain the dominant culturethe dominant culture

Cultural Subordination TheoryCultural Subordination Theory

Examines social processes that lead Examines social processes that lead to lower status for minority groups to lower status for minority groups and structured inequalities in the and structured inequalities in the systemsystem

Anyon’s study of elementary schools Anyon’s study of elementary schools Testing, tracking, and ability groupingTesting, tracking, and ability grouping Schools, curriculum, and setting Schools, curriculum, and setting

reflect white middle-class worldviewreflect white middle-class worldview

Resistance TheoryResistance Theory Students experiencing discrimination Students experiencing discrimination

retreatretreat– Adolescent girls submerge their Adolescent girls submerge their

intelligenceintelligence– African American students caught African American students caught

between cultures between cultures – Other students give the impression they Other students give the impression they

“don’t care” about schooling, and “don’t care” about schooling, and teachers can give up on themteachers can give up on them

The Impact of LanguageThe Impact of Language What linguists agree onWhat linguists agree on::

– all languages can support complex cognitive all languages can support complex cognitive processes and express whatever needs to be processes and express whatever needs to be expressedexpressed

– language prestige is attached to economic/military language prestige is attached to economic/military power of group using it power of group using it

– children learn better through use of native children learn better through use of native languagelanguage

– not all non-standard speakers have same language not all non-standard speakers have same language developmentdevelopment

– the way a child's primary language is valued affects the way a child's primary language is valued affects self-concept self-concept

– every language has variety of linguistic stylesevery language has variety of linguistic styles– reading failure is frequently caused by conflict reading failure is frequently caused by conflict

between English-speaking teachers and non-between English-speaking teachers and non-English-speaking childrenEnglish-speaking children

Bilingual and ESL Instruction as Bilingual and ESL Instruction as Bridges to English ProficiencyBridges to English Proficiency

42% of all public school teachers have at 42% of all public school teachers have at least one Limited English Proficiency (LEP) least one Limited English Proficiency (LEP) student in their classroomstudent in their classroom

Spanish-speaking more likely to receive Spanish-speaking more likely to receive bilingual instruction; others get ESL bilingual instruction; others get ESL programsprograms

Oakland School District’s controversial Oakland School District’s controversial Ebonics instruction programEbonics instruction program

BEV: Language and cultural subordinationBEV: Language and cultural subordination

Pedagogical Approaches to Pedagogical Approaches to PluralismPluralism

Ignore differences and teach to single Ignore differences and teach to single standardstandard

Seek to eliminate differences by Seek to eliminate differences by forcing compliance to a single standardforcing compliance to a single standard

Balance sensitivity to group differences Balance sensitivity to group differences without being biased by group without being biased by group differencesdifferences– ““culturally responsive” pedagogyculturally responsive” pedagogy

Multicultural Education and Multicultural Education and

Democratic PluralismDemocratic Pluralism 1. Teaching the exceptional and culturally different1. Teaching the exceptional and culturally different

– fitting students into existing structure with ESL, bilingual, remedial, fitting students into existing structure with ESL, bilingual, remedial, special education programsspecial education programs

– retains status quoretains status quo2. Human relations2. Human relations

– promotion of unity, tolerance, and acceptance within existing structure promotion of unity, tolerance, and acceptance within existing structure among studentsamong students

– Doesn’t address institutional inequitiesDoesn’t address institutional inequities3. Single-group studies3. Single-group studies

– singling out groups for study; foster acceptance, work towards social singling out groups for study; foster acceptance, work towards social change on behalf of identified groupchange on behalf of identified group

– Doesn’t alter the main curriculum; more “add on”Doesn’t alter the main curriculum; more “add on”4. Multicultural education4. Multicultural education

– promotion of cultural pluralism, equal opportunity and respect in the promotion of cultural pluralism, equal opportunity and respect in the schoolschool

– critical thinking, bilingual instructioncritical thinking, bilingual instruction– debate over whether result is cohesion or fragmentationdebate over whether result is cohesion or fragmentation

5. Education that is multicultural and social reconstructionist5. Education that is multicultural and social reconstructionist– preparation for the “real world”preparation for the “real world”

Multicultural and Social Multicultural and Social Reconstructionist EducationReconstructionist Education

Practice of democracyPractice of democracy Analysis of one’s own lifeAnalysis of one’s own life Development of social action skillsDevelopment of social action skills Formation of social coalitions across Formation of social coalitions across

boundaries of race, ethnicity, social boundaries of race, ethnicity, social class and genderclass and gender

Diversity, Equity, and SpecialDiversity, Equity, and SpecialEducationEducation

Multicultural education is the most Multicultural education is the most equitable way to address educational equitable way to address educational needs of all students (Banks)needs of all students (Banks)

Special education as a form of Special education as a form of tracking (Skrtic)tracking (Skrtic)

Labels may say more about the Labels may say more about the system than they do about the system than they do about the studentsstudents

Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks

Jane Elliott’s experiment reminds us of Jane Elliott’s experiment reminds us of the social construction of what is judged the social construction of what is judged superior or inferior superior or inferior

Slow progress from culturally deficient to Slow progress from culturally deficient to culturally different explanations of culturally different explanations of differencesdifferences

Sensitivity means asking Sensitivity means asking “When is race “When is race or class or gender a relevant variable in or class or gender a relevant variable in this student’s performance, and when is this student’s performance, and when is it not?”it not?”