Search

The controversial issue of cultural authenticity in children's literature resurfaces continually, always eliciting strong emotions and a wide range of perspectives. This collection explores the complexity of this issue by highlighting important historical events, current debates, and new questions and critiques. Articles in the collection are grouped under five different parts. Under Part I, The Sociopolitical Contexts of Cultural Authenticity, are the following articles: (1) "The Complexity of Cultural Authenticity in Children's Literature: Why the Debates Really Matter" (Kathy G. Short and Dana L. Fox); and (2) "Reframing the Debate about Cultural Authenticity" (Rudine Sims Bishop). Under Part II, The Perspectives of Authors, Illustrators, and Editors on Cultural Authenticity, are these articles: (3) "Who Can Tell My Story?" (Jacqueline Woodson); (4) "'Around My Table' Is Not Always Enough" (W. Nikola-Lisa); (5) "Authentic Enough: Am I? Are You? Interpreting Culture for Children's Literature" (Susan Guevara); (6) "The Candle and the Mirror: One Author's Journey as an Outsider" (Judi Moreillon); (7) "A Mess of Stories" (Marc Aronson); (8) "To Stingo with Love: An Author's Perspective on Writing Outside One's Culture" (Kathryn Lasky); and (9) "Multiculturalism Is Not Halloween" (Thelma Seto). Under Part III, Political Correctness and Cultural Authenticity, are these articles: (10) Beyond Political Correctness" (Hazel Rochman); (11) "The Complexity of Debates about Multicultural Literature and Cultural Authenticity" (Violet J. Harris); (12) "'Authenticity,' or the Lesson of Little Tree" (Henry Louis Gates, Jr.); and (13) "Multicultural Literature and the Politics of Reaction" (Joel Taxel). Under Part IV, The Perspectives of Educators on Cultural Authenticity, are these articles: (14) "Can We Fly across Cultural Gaps on the Wings of Imagination? Ethnicity, Experience, and Cultural Authenticity" (Mingshui Cai); (15) "Accuracy and Authenticity in American Indian Children's Literature: The Social Responsibility of Authors and Illustrators" (Elizabeth Noll); (16) "Accuracy Is Not Enough: The Role of Cultural Values in the Authenticity of Picture Books" (Weimin Mo and Wenju Shen); (17) "Artistic Triumph or Multicultural Failure? Multiple Perspectives on a 'Multicultural' Award-Winning Book" (Laura B. Smolkin and Joseph H. Suina); (18) "Images of West Africa in Children's Books: Replacing Old Stereotypes with New Ones?" (Vivian Yenika-Agbaw); and (19) "Use of Spanish in Latino Children's Literature in English: What Makes for Cultural Authenticity? (Rosalinda B. Barrera and Ruth E. Quiroa). Under Part V, Connecting Cultural Authenticity to the Classroom, are these articles: (20) "Multiple Definitions of Multicultural Literature: Is the Debate Really Just 'Ivory Tower' Bickering?" (Mingshui Cai); (21) "The Trivialization and Misuse of Multicultural Literature: Issues of Representation and Communication" (Zhihui Fang; Danling Fu; Linda Leonard Lamme); and (22) "'I'm Not from Pakistan': Multicultural Literature and the Problem of Representation" (Curt Dudley-Marling). (NKA)

This report contains three studies on diversity in college classrooms. Following a review of the historical background in the introduction, Part 1, "University Faculty Views about the Value of Diversity on Campus and in the Classroom," offers a discussion of various diversity issues, such as institutional and departmental values; effects on classrooms, research, and teaching; negative effects; student benefits; responses of faculty; and comparisons of male and female responses. Part 2, titled "College Missions, Faculty Teaching, and Student Outcomes in a Context of Low Diversity," analyzes the content of mission statements of top selective liberal arts colleges; discusses the experience at Macalester College; and summarizes the case for diversity. Part 3, "The Educational Possibility of Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic College Classrooms," attempts to understand the outcomes that result from interactions among diverse students by describing a qualitative study of specific interactive classrooms. Three overarching themes emerge: (1) racial and ethnic diversity is necessary but not sufficient for creating the most effective educational environment; (2) racial and ethnic diversity increases the educational possibilities of the classroom; and (3) multiracial/multiethnic classes enhance educational outcomes. Appended, as Part 4, is the faculty classroom diversity questionnaire, which focuses on faculty attitudes toward diversity at their institutions and in their own classrooms. All sections of the document contain references. (RH)

The articles and excerpts in this collection illustrate the complexity of the melting pot concept. Multiculturalism has become a watchword in American life and education, but it may be that in trying to atone for past transgressions educators and others are simply going too far. These essays illustrate some of the problems of a multicultural approach. The following are included: (1) "The Cost of Multiculturalism" (Carlos A. Bonilla); (2) "American Identity or Multiculturalism" (Balint Vazsonyi); (3) "On Mastering the 3Rs" (Carlos A. Bonilla); (4) "Of Preferences and Racial Equality" (excerpt from "Preferences Hinder Racial Equality," by M. Royce Van Tassell "San Francisco Chronicle," January 23, 1998); (5) "News on Race" ("San Francisco Chronicle," January 23, 1998); (6) "The Menace of Multiculturalism" (Mary Lefkowitz, book review, "The Wall Street Journal," March 24, 1997); (7) "Assumptions upon which Multicultural Education Is Based"; (8) "The Recipe for Disaster" (Sharyn Chamberlain, Jennifer Gates, Kevin Kenworthy, and Huong Nguyen); (9) "Multicultural Education: Is It Harmful or Beneficial?" (Tasleem Ali, Kevin Begnaud, Tim Fritz, and Mike Vocker); (10) "The Culture Gap" (Kyle Jensen); (11) "Attaining Individuality after Bi-lingual Education" (Bill Alessio, Sandra King, Karen Osterli, and Ed Ford); (12) "Sports Ignite Unity" (Dave Hill, Jill Holley, Ismael Perez, and Jay Whinery); and (13) "To CLAD or Not To CLAD" (Laurie Jackson). (Contains 10 references.) (SLD)

This collection of essays is authored by social scientists who are concerned primarily with relationships between academic knowledge and political power, rethinking the traditional view of politics and science as mutually exclusive fields of study. Chapters are organized into three parts: "Introduction"; "The Institutional Politics of Knowledge Production"; and "Prospects of the University in Late Capitalism". Chapter titles are: (1) "Academic Knowledge and Political Power in Late Capitalist Societies" (Richard Harvey Brown and J. Daniel Schubert); (2) "Democracy and Capitalism in the Academy: The Commercialization of American Higher Education" (Richard Harvey Brown and Remi Clignet); (3) "Science as a Vocation: Circa 2000" (Steven Fuller); (4) "Intellectual Discourse in the Academy and Society: Interpretation, Legitimation, and the Rise of Management Talk" (Karl-Michael Brunner, Johanna Hofbauer, and Gerald Prabitz); (5) "Leisure and the Intellectuals: The End of the Legislator?" (Hans Mommaas); (6) "Academy and Asylum: Power, Knowledge, and Mental Disability" (John P. Radford): (7) "The Ivory Commonwealth: Higher Education beyond Pure Commerce" (Manfred Stanley); (8) "Toward a Relegitimation of Higher Education: Reinvigorating the Humanities and Social Sciences" (Grahame F. Thompson); (9) "Objectivity, Relativism, and the Public Authority of the Scholar" (David R. Shumway); and (10) "The Erotics of Academic Conversation: Love, Ethics, and Reason in Scholarly and Civic Discourse" (Richard Harvey Brown). (All chapters contain references.) (RH)

This book argues that it is the incorporation of a multicultural agenda into basal readers, the primary tool for teaching reading in elementary schools, that has stunted American children's ability to read. The book shows how basal readers have been systematically "dumbed down" in an effort to raise minority students'"self esteem." It contends that while elementary readers of the past featured excerpts from classic stories such as "Arabian Nights" and "Robinson Crusoe," with a complex vocabulary and sentence structure able to challenge the imagination and build reading skills, today's basal readers present students with politically and ethnically correct stories whose language is virtually foreign and unable to engage students. According to the book, drawing words from Swahili, Spanglish, and other "trendy" dialects to teach students with a shrinking English vocabulary is a symptom of this intellectual and cultural disorder. The book showcases interviews with teachers, gives an in-depth analysis of reading texts over the past 30 years, and talks about how pressure groups have affected educational publishers. It points out that literacy--cultural and verbal--gives all students, but particularly those from poor or minority backgrounds, personal independence and achievement and the ability to participate fully in civic life. Each of the 11 chapters includes notes. (NKA)

The four papers in this document address issues of higher education, race, and diversity. First, "The Impact of Diversity on College Students: The Latest Research," reviews recent studies and finds that diversity initiatives, from those focusing on access, to those focusing on campus climate, to those focusing on comprehensive institutional transformation, provide demonstrable benefits to all students, whatever their backgrounds and characteristics. Second, "Diversity and the College Curriculum: How Colleges & Universities Are Preparing Students for a Changing World," presents an overview of developments in curriculum transformation and a discussion of what these changes seek to accomplish, as well as a list of resources on diversity and the college curriculum. Third, "Faculty Recruitment in Higher Education: Research Findings on Diversity and Affirmative Action," debunks myths about affirmative action and faculty hiring, provides facts on how the job market actually works for minority faculty, and concludes that affirmative action hiring policies are still necessary to ensure equal treatment for women and minority candidates. Finally, "Political Correctness: The Truth about Diversity and Tolerance in Higher Education," provides data refuting claims that conservative faculty members and students are being persecuted for their beliefs and that efforts to address diversity and intolerance result in more rather than less tension on college campuses. (Individual papers contain references and additional resources.) (DB)

The "diversity myth" is the myth that universities are doing a good job promoting diversity on campus. Universities in America have promoted this "diversity myth" which belies the actual state of affairs in the nation's schools. Instead, universities have fostered conformity on campus, and stifled true diversity. This document, sponsored by the Independent Institute, uses Stanford University as a case study, and addresses the need for universities to rethink their methods of promoting diversity. It describes examples from both inside college and university campuses and in the outside world that suggest that economic diversity, political diversity, racial diversity, and intellectual diversity has decreased in recent years. Curriculum changes brought about to embrace multiculturalism have in fact eroded traditional academic standards, as they have sought to question traditional academia's focus on Western works and embrace multiculturalism. The authors suggest that only on an individual basis can the problems that have developed as a result of excessive political correctness in academia be solved. Elizabeth Fox-Genovese provides the foreword for this, the second edition. (AB)

This publication explores how teachers' cultural origins, as well as those of their students and colleagues, impact growth and learning, and how teachers can make classrooms more culturally responsive. The book is divided into two parts with a "bridge" chapter between them. Part 1, "Conceptual Provocations" includes five chapters: (1) "Your Culture Is Showing" explores cultural adaptability, origins of cultural identity, and cultural values; (2) "Climate of Political Correctness" covers the politics of victimization and questionable assumptions; (3) "Just How Different Are We, Anyway?" looks at disorientation, student and teacher subcultures, multiple cultures that interact, and confronting biases and prejudices; (4) "Some Cultural Misunderstandings" discusses examples of mainstream concepts that make learning difficult for children from different cultures; and (5) "Beauty and Grace in School Rituals (Richard Powell and Jeffrey A. Kottler) examines the structure of school rituals and accommodating cultural rituals. Chapter 6 (the "bridge chapter) "Teaching As If You Were an Anthropologist," presents an alternative way of thinking about a teacher's work. Part 2, "Purposeful Actions," includes four chapters: (7) "Being and Doing Things Differently in the Classroom" (Jeffrey A. Kottler and Ellen Kottler) looks at the rules within student cultures and making learning culturally relevant; (8) "Narrative Approaches to Culture and Learning" (Gerald Monk and J. A. Kottler) explores differences in adult and child knowledge and applications of narrative approaches in the classroom; (9) "Internationalizing the Classroom" (Elaine Jarchow and J. A. Kottler) discusses international perspectives and activities for elementary, junior, and senior high school; and (10) "What Matters Most" serves as a summary and conclusion. (Contains 119 references.) (ND)

This book analyzes the notions that are "fashionable" in the humanities today, arguing against the orthodoxy that has installed race, gender, and class perspectives at the center of college humanities curricula. The book contends that humanistic education today, far from being historically aware, relies on anachronistic thinking; far from being skeptical of Western values, represents a "ruthless and unskeptical" Western extremism; far from being valuable in bringing political perspectives to bear, presents politics that are "unreal"; far from being sophisticated in matters of "theory," is largely "ignorant" of the range and history of critical theory; and far from valuing diversity, is unable to respond to the great sweep of literature. Following an introduction, the book's chapters are titled: (1) The Origins of Political Correctness; (2) The Diversity of Literature; (3) Gender, Politics, and Criticism; (4) The Academic Politics of Race; (5) Class and Perfect Egalitarianism; (6) Activism and Knowledge; (7) Power, Objectivity, and PC Logic; (8) Is Theory to Blame?; and (9) How Did It All Happen--And What Comes Next? The conclusion examines the prospects for future change. (NKA)

Multiculturalism in American education has been the subject of much debate and it has established a powerful position in both higher education and in earlier schooling. This book explores the conflict over multiculturalism, examines the social situation from which it has emerged, and considers implications for the future of American society. The first chapter, "The Multicultural Explosion," introduces multiculturalism and sets the stage for the discussion. Chapter 2, "The New York Story," discusses the conflict that arose over new social studies guidelines for schools in New York State. In Chapter 3, "What Is at Stake in Multiculturalism," four fears and concerns about multiculturalism are analyzed. Chapter 4, "The Rediscovery of Nubia and Kush," considers recent conflicts over social studies guidelines in California and the effort to establish national social studies curriculum guidelines. Chapter 5, "Dealing with Diversity, Past and Present," considers some of the background to multiculturalism in older conflicts over the proper response to diversity in American society. Chapter 6, "Where Assimilation Failed," explores assimilation as an ideal and a reality, focusing on the failure to include African Americans in assimilation efforts. Chapter 7, "Can We Be Brought Together," explores consequences of that failure and the separation of blacks and whites in the United States. Chapter 8, "We Are All Multiculturalists Now," discusses the inescapableness of the multicultural phase in current education. (Contains 126 endnotes.) (SLD)

These nine essays address controversial issues of academic freedom and values at the university level. The book, which was derived from two years of debate and lectures presented to national meetings of the American Association of University Professors, is organized in three sections which address such issues as: the purpose of academic freedom, the problem of hate speech, and the ethics of inquiry. The nine essays are: (1) "The Limits of Academic Freedom" (Louis Menand); (2) "Does Academic Freedom Have Philosophical Presuppositions?" (Richard Rorty); (3) "Justifying the Rights of Academic Freedom in the Era of 'Power/Knowledge'" (Thomas L. Haskell); (4) "Academic Freedom and Law: Liberalism, Speech Codes, and Related Problems" (Cass R. Sunstein); (5) "Critical Race Theory and Freedom of Speech" (Harry Louis Gates Jr.); (6) "Academic Freedom as an Ethical Practice" (Joan W. Scott); (7) "We Need a New Interpretation of Academic Freedom" (Ronald Dworkin); (8) "Science and Its Critics" (Evelyn Fox Keller); and (9) "Identity, Authority, and Freedom: The Potentate and the Traveler" (Edward W. Said). (Most essays contain extensive reference notes.) (CH)

This book explores issues typified by a series of hateful speech events at Kean College (New Jersey) and on other U.S. campuses in the early 1990s, by examining the dichotomies that exist between the First and the Fourteenth Amendments and between civil liberties and civil rights, and by contrasting the values of free speech and academic freedom in the university to the failure to provide equal protection to students. An introductory chapter reviews the precipitating events at Kean College, when speakers from outside the college (Leonard Jeffries, Khalid Abdul Muhammad, and Louis Farrakhan) polarized the campus. African Americans felt their cultural event had been treated with disrespect; Jewish students, faculty, and staff were upset that a speaker known for anti-Semitic attitudes was allowed to speak without confronting those whom he defamed; Hispanics saw a plot to get rid of the Hispanic president. Succeeding chapters cover changing U.S. demographics and attitudes; the affirmative action debate; identity politics, multiculturalism, and political correctness; the campus climate; court cases involving regulation of speech on campus; and the need for college leadership to improve intergroup relations as a means of dealing with hate speech. (Chapters contain endnotes and approximately 240 references.) (BF)