Cultural Diversity

1
Cultural Diversity
2
Issues in Diversity

• Gender
• Language Groups
• Race
• Ethnicity
• Rural / Urban
• Special Needs
• physical disabilities
• mental disabilities

3
Ethnic Racial Diversity in the United States

• In 1950 minorities made up 11 of the U.S.
  population.
• This figure increased to 30 by 2000.
• By 2014, 40 of the Illinois population will be
  none-white.
• By 2030, 50 of the US population will be
  non-white.
• By 2030, Caucasians will be the largest minority
  in the U.S.

4
Stereotypes -- An Example

• How do people walk?
• How do rich people walk?
• How do rich women walk?

5
Stereotypes are broadly held.

• Can you name stereotypes for these groups?
• African Americans
• Arabs
• Asian Americans
• Catholics
• Fundamentalist Christians
• Jews
• Latino Americans
• Native Americans
• Polish Americans
• WASPs

6
Stereotypes are generally considered offensive.

• How do you feel about your ethnic and/or
  cultural and/or religious grouping stereotype?

7
Minority Status and Identity Development

• Minority management of cultural differences
• assimilation (melting pot)
• accommodation (vegetable soup)
• separation (rejection of dominant group)
• Cultural identity development -- Cross 1980, 1987
• pre-encounter stage (minority group members
  notice differences between selves and majority
  culture, but differences are not considered
  important)
• encounter stage (minority member encounters
  discrimination in vivid form)
• immersion stage (minority members immerse
  themselves in the ways of their ethnic group)
• internalization stage (appreciate selves, but
  realize that differences dont always correspond
  to group membership)

8
Multiculturalism

• Awareness of Differences
• Respect for Differences
• Affirmation of Differences

9
The Multicultural Classroom

• Hold everyone to the same standards.
• Use ethnic names in examples.
• Select course text books carefully.
• Ensure equal opportunity for all.
• Get to know your students.
• Assess each students needs.
• Celebrate student differences.
• Teach in a cultural / historical context when
  possible and appropriate.
• See Affirming Differences by Sonia Nieto, ch. 12

10
Clinical Experience

• Visit a high school physics classroom with a
  culturally diverse population.
• Note the presence of members of unique cultural
  and ethnic groups.
• Identify the varied educational needs of students
  from different cultural and ethnic groups.
• In lab, recitation, or tutoring session, take
  advantage of any opportunity to work with
  students of culturally diverse backgrounds.
• Prepare a written report of your findings and
  activities.
• Perform a cultural sensitivity assessment of a
  high school physics textbook.

11
Significant Problems with the Multiculturalism
Movement

• Cultural illiteracy results from a lack of
  common understanding which can affect
  understanding.
• A common basis is needed for effective
  communication. For example, consider the first
  stanza of the Aussie classic Waltzing Matilda.
• Once a jolly swagman camped by a bilibong
• under the shade of a kulibar tree,
• he sang as he sat and waited for his biliboil,
• youll come a waltzing Matilda with me!
• Multiculturalism can actually disenfranchise
  those who do not learn to speak a common language.

12
References

• Cross, W. E., Jr. (1980). Models of psychological
  nigrescence A literature review. In R. L. Jones
  (Ed.), Black psychology. New York Harper Row.
• Cross, W. E., Jr. (1987). A two-factor theory of
  black identity Implications for the study of
  identity development in minority children. In J.
  S. Phinney M. R. Rotheram (Eds.), Childrens
  ethnic socialization. Beverly Hills Sage
  Publications.