(1995). American Indian Studies. A quick look at the literature in American Indian studies reveals that it is divided about equally between historical research and studies of contemporary American Indians, reflecting the strong influence of history and anthropology in the field. American Indian studies overlaps many disciplines. Characterized as an \area study,\ it is unified by the single theme of its link to the culture and experiences of American Indians as a people separate from the Euro-American culture. Many studies focus on American Indian demography, investigating the size, distribution, and composition of the historical and contemporary American Indian populations. The literature on the social and economic status of American Indians is relatively large, as is the literature on political organizations and legal institutions among historic and contemporary American Indian groups. The cultures of American Indians are extremely diverse, and broad generalizations are difficult to make. Many studies of…
(1995). African American Teachers and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. An overview is presented of research on African American teachers, addressing the large body of literature written by policy analysts, first-person narratives, and the sociological and anthropological literature. Policy research has identified the small number of African American teachers and has studied some reasons for this shortage and some of the programs designed to combat it. First-person narratives have provided sensitive portraits of African American teachers and their influence. The sociological and anthropological literature on African American teachers is small, compared to the entire body of studies on teachers, and frequently portrays them in a negative light. Nevertheless, some research exists that indicates that the pedagogy of effective African American teachers is characterized by cultural solidarity, affiliation, and connectedness with the African American community. The meager volume of literature means that many questions about the effectiveness of African…
(2001). Language Learners as Ethnographers. Modern Languages in Practice 16. This book describes a new approach to teaching and learning cultural studies. Borrowing the idea of ethnography from anthropologists, it argues that language students can be taught methods for investigating the cultural and social patterns of interaction and the values and beliefs that account for them. Doing an ethnographic study while living abroad immerses students in the life of particular groups, providing an intellectual challenge and the opportunity for intense intercultural encounters. The first half of the book discusses some of the current concepts in cultural and intercultural learning. The second half is a description how the ethnography program can be run in higher education institutions, using extensive examples from ethnography courses and student projects. Overall, this book argues that the idea of language learners as ethnographers can be transferred to many contexts and that language learning should be interdisciplinary. This book is relevant to teachers of modern…
(1996). Interdisciplinary Social Studies and Science Lessons with a Native American Theme. Social Studies, v87 n2 p72-77 Mar-Apr. Maintains that the complimentary perspectives of social studies and science contribute a deeper understanding to the study of other cultures. Includes four lesson plans utilizing material culture, chemistry, astronomy, folktales, and literature to investigate the world of the Anasazi Indians. Each lesson plan includes a bibliography. (MJP)…
(1996). Rethinking Research Processes and Praxis in the Social Studies: The Cultural Politics of Methodology in Text Evaluation Research. Theory and Research in Social Education, v24 n2 p167-203 Spr. Outlines problems associated with using mainstream research methods for evaluating the representation of marginalized cultural groups in social studies textbooks. Describes an alternative method and ethnographic format for assessing textbooks that uses evaluation criteria developed in cooperation with marginalized people. Includes extensive appendixes of guidelines, suggestions, and issues. (MJP)…
(1996). Windows and Mirrors, Stages and Masks: Strategies for the Borderlands. Metropolitan Universities: An International Forum, v7 n2 p51-59 Fall. The evolution of the programs and curriculum at Palo Alto College (Texas), a community college in which minorities form the majority and nontraditional students are the norm, is described from the perspective of a teacher. Focus is on strategies for acculturating nontraditional students to the culture of the academic classroom. (MSE)…
(1997). Recent International Documents and Journal Articles from the ERIC Database. International Journal of Early Years Education, v5 n1 p79-85 Mar. Summarizes recent works addressing intercultural education in Italian schools; curriculum change via schema development; the IEA Preprimary Project; an ethnolinguistic study of 3-year-olds; community service delivery in Australia; Thai child-rearing practices; Korean kindergarten curriculum; a story-telling study in Spain; Effective Early Learning Research Project; and Thai parental attitudes. (SD)…
(1990). Who Has Ten Fingers and Light Brown Skin and Likes to Sing \Bingo\?; Identity Development of Biracial Children. Dimensions, v18 n4 p24-25,31 Sum. Discusses ways early childhood professionals can meet the identity needs of biracial children and their parents. Suggests school and class activity experiences to support biracial children. (BB)…
(1988). Using Resources to Teach Women's History. OAH Magazine of History, v3 n3-4 p33-34 Sum-Fall. Presents an annotated bibliography of 17 resources for teaching multicultural women's history, and recommends several publishers that offer resource materials. Looks at books for students, curriculum guides, reference books, films, and videos on the topic. (LS)…
(1995). Eyewitness Culture and History: Primary Written Sources. The Iconoclast. Canadian Social Studies, v29 n4 p9-11 Sum. Asserts that contemporary history and historiography is "official" history that ignores the daily struggles of people for their continued survival. Argues that, while public illiteracy has nearly disappeared, individuals are ignorant of the wealth of primary-source materials of other cultures' histories. (CFR)…
(1994). Herbal Medicine Along the Trail of Tears. Science Scope, v17 n6 p36-40 Mar. Describes an assignment that allows students to explore the life of the Cherokee Indians during a tragic period in history when the U.S. Government removed the Cherokees from their ancestral homeland. Students demonstrate learning by creating skits that incorporate Cherokee history, culture, and herbal remedies. (ZWH)…
(1994). Native Studies in the North American Social Studies Curriculum. Social Studies, v85 n1 p7-10 Jan-Feb. Argues that instruction about Native Americans or Canada Natives often has been limited to colorful tales about ancient lifestyles or a trip to a museum. Asserts that teachers should provide more accurate and useful information as they integrate native studies into the social studies curriculum. (CFR)…
(1991). The Dialectical Commons of Western Civilization and Global/World History. History Teacher, v24 n3 p293-305 May. Discusses the debate between proponents of western civilization and of world or global history. Proposes using disputed theoretical ground as a common resource. Explores the origins of global consciousness in western civilization. Examines the contributions of nonwestern civilizations to the development of global history. Urges consideration of local as well as global processes of historical change. (DK)…
(1992). Behavioral Style, Culture, and Teaching and Learning. Journal of Negro Education, v61 n3 p370-77 Sum. Argues that unique behavioral styles can be identified among African-American populations and that behavioral style may help explain differences in test performance for white and African-American students. Implications for all students of providing stylistic diversity in the schools and student ability to use multiple learning styles are discussed. (SLD)…
(1994). Minority Supervisor and Majority Supervisee: Another Perspective of Clinical Reality. Counselor Education and Supervision, v34 n2 p152-58 Dec. Examines supervision issues that may arise when ethnic minority members supervise members of an ethnic majority. Some topics include enhancing supervisees' respect for diversity, increasing cultural awareness of supervisors, the supervisor-supervisee relationship, communication styles, and models of supervision. Discusses possible solutions and offers suggestions for future research. (RJM)…