Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Full Download PDF of (Original PDF) Teaching For Diversity in Canadian Schools 2nd All Chapter
Full Download PDF of (Original PDF) Teaching For Diversity in Canadian Schools 2nd All Chapter
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-teaching-reading-in-
todays-elementary-schools-11th-edition/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-teaching-in-the-middle-
and-secondary-schools-11th-edition/
https://ebooksecure.com/download/teaching-reading-in-todays-
elementary-schools-12th-edition-ebook-pdf/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-inclusion-of-learners-
with-exceptionalities-in-canadian-schools-a-practical-handbook-
for-teachers-sixth-edition/
(eBook PDF) Inclusion of Exceptional Learners in
Canadian Schools 5th Edition by Hutchinson
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-inclusion-of-
exceptional-learners-in-canadian-schools-5th-edition-by-
hutchinson/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-diversity-in-u-s-mass-
media-2nd-edition/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-teaching-language-in-
context-2nd-edition/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-translational-medicine-
in-cns-drug-development-volume-29/
https://ebooksecure.com/download/progress-in-heterocyclic-
chemistry-ebook-pdf/
Second Edition
Contents vii
Preface
My main objective in this second edition of Teaching for Diversity in Canadian Schools
remains that of providing a Canadian perspective on an issue that should be of sig-
nificant interest to all educators and Canadians, especially given the sociopolitical
vicissitudes of our contemporary world in which diversity is, ironically, one of the
few stable phenomena. One fact is incontrovertible—these are unsettling times, and
works such as this take on renewed urgency as we strive towards creating more just
and inclusive societies and institutions nationally and, arguably, internationally.
One central question guided my thoughts as I developed the volume: What should
educators know about diversity in order to effectively educate all students, especially
those from diverse backgrounds? The answers were rather straightforward. Educators
should be cognizant of the various theories of diversity and understand the divergent
views of why some students succeed in school while others have tenuous relationships
with school systems sometimes for reasons that are not unrelated to their identities.
They should understand the dialectical role of schools as simultaneously empowering
and disempowering social institutions. They should also understand how the various
elements of diversity intersect with teaching and learning. Most importantly, they
should be able to challenge the status quo and empower all students through the con-
tents they teach as well as through their pedagogical practices. In short, they must under-
stand that teaching for diversity is an imperative in a pluralistic society like Canada.
There are many updates in the second edition:
■■ For ease of comprehension, each chapter in this edition begins with learning
objectives and chapter focus.
■■ A new and separate chapter on language matters was added, given its salience in
the discourse on diversity.
■■ New chapter-opening vignettes were added, while others were updated.
■■ A significant number of the major topics were revised or updated to reflect new
understandings of the trajectories of diversity, schools, and society.
■■ The concept of critical race theory (CRT), which was absent in the first edition,
is also explored.
■■ Much of the data were updated, as were many of the references, to reflect cur-
rent statistics and research.
■■ Some of the progressive frameworks (e.g., Diversity Awareness Compass and
the concept of negotiable and non-negotiable knowledge) were reviewed and
revised.
■■ Finally, the discussions on Aboriginal experiences, the environment, ecological
issues, and biodiversity were expanded.
viii
In developing the volume, I have taken care to maintain a balance between theory
and practice, although the contents tilt somewhat towards practice. Consequently, the
book provides educators a repertoire of practical examples, strategies, and vignettes
in accessible language to facilitate the process of teaching for diversity and equity.
The major themes of the book are organized into nine chapters.
Chapter 1 examines some theoretical understandings of diversity. The purpose
of the chapter is to establish a theoretical and analytical framework within which the
discussions in subsequent chapters are grounded. To achieve this, some commonly
held views of the relationship between diversity and academic achievement are dis-
cussed. The chapter also examines different views of the school as a social institution
and ends with a discussion of the constituents of social justice.
In an analysis of how immigration policies have contributed to Canada’s demo-
graphic profile, and in turn to diversity among students, Chapter 2 begins with an
examination of the historical foundations of Canadian diversity. This is followed
by a discussion of the unique case of Aboriginal peoples and their quest for self-
determination and just social and educational policies. Arguing that teaching for
diversity is also a matter of fundamental rights, the chapter looks at the implications
of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Canadian diversity. Finally, models
of some enduring educational responses to Canadian diversity are explored.
Continuing the theme of Canadian experiences with diversity, Chapter 3 shifts
the focus to the challenges and dilemmas that face various educational stakeholders,
especially students and teachers, vis-à-vis diversity in schools. Arguing from the posi-
tion that a complex web of interacting variables impact on diversity within the educa-
tional arena, the chapter examines the interface between the following aspects of
Canadian diversity and schooling: religious diversity, socioeconomic diversity, and
gender-based differences.
A new addition to this edition, Chapter 4 explores the linkages between educa-
tion and linguistic diversity. The discussion in the chapter is premised on the view
that language mediates educational success in very important ways, and consequently,
language matters feature prominently in the discourse on diversity and schooling, on
the one hand, and language and life chances on the other. Issues such as the centrality
of inclusive language policies and practices in schools, as well as the status of heritage
and nonofficial languages in Canada, are also examined in the chapter.
Chapter 5 asks the perennial question that dogs educators and policy makers but
has yet to be answered: What shall we teach, especially in contexts of student diver-
sity? In response to this question, readers are introduced to the concepts of negotia-
ble and non-negotiable knowledge as authentic inclusive knowledge. Emphasizing the
linkages between teaching practices and student academic success, the chapter also
discusses several progressive pedagogical frameworks (e.g., diversity pedagogy, critical
pedagogy, peace education) that teachers can adopt to empower their students, espe-
cially those from nondominant-group backgrounds. Furthermore, since global
Preface ix
matters cannot be disconnected from teaching and learning in contemporary class-
rooms, the chapter outlines the intricate connections between Canadian diversity and
an emergent globalized world. The key stance adopted in the chapter is that teachers
need to create alternative visions of their classrooms beyond the orthodox practices
and pedagogies that are, more often than not, unsuitable for the sociodemographic
realities of their teaching environments.
Premised on the belief that action for changing unjust educational practices must
begin with understanding and changing the “self” as a situated being, Chapter 6
examines the ways teachers and administrators can better understand their own biog-
raphies in order to initiate praxis. In addition to providing educators strategies for
conducting critical self-analysis, the chapter also offers educational leaders a tool for
conducting programmatic, policy, and practice-related audits.
Continuing the theme of practical strategies, Chapter 7 discusses important strat-
egies for creating a community of learners in contexts of student diversity. A unique
feature in this chapter is an assemblage of vignettes that serve as hypothetical exam-
ples of “teachable moments”—unanticipated opportunities that enable teachers to
reflexively and proactively engage diversity issues in their classrooms. The chapter
concludes with a discussion of fair and antibias assessment practices.
The goal of promoting diversity in Canadian schools cannot be achieved without
substantive structural reforms and policy changes at all levels of the educational sys-
tem. Therefore, Chapter 8 argues that policy and training matter. Progressive policies
should be essential components of educational responses to diversity, as should the
training of new teachers and educational leaders.
Finally, Chapter 9 points to future directions and provides a concluding synthesis
of the discussions in the book.
As a strategy for encouraging engagement with the book, readers will notice that
as in the previous edition, each chapter begins with a vignette and ends with several
pedagogical features—a list of key terms, a set of questions that reflect the opening
vignette, a set of discussion questions, a series of questions to test readers’ knowl-
edge, suggestions for further reading, and some websites of interest. Ultimately, my
goal for writing this volume is to provide educators with a guide that will enable them
to teach for diversity as well as initiate critical change in school and society.
The target audience for this book is diverse and varied. While the primary audi-
ence is preservice and in-service teachers, the book has much to offer to graduate
students in faculties of education, policy makers, principals, and other administra-
tors. Students in allied disciplines, such as sociology, cultural studies, and the social
sciences more generally, will also benefit immensely from the discussions in this book.
Benedicta Egbo
University of Windsor
x Preface
Instructor Supplement
An Instructor’s Manual is available for download from a password-protected section
of Pearson Education Canada’s online catalogue (vig.pearsoned.ca). Navigate to your
book’s catalogue page to download this supplement. See your local sales representa-
tive for details and access.
Acknowledgments
The completion of this book would not have been possible without the support and
cooperation of a number of people. I am indebted to the editorial team at Pearson
Education, which provided the necessary support. In particular, I owe a debt of grati-
tude to Christine Langone, my developmental editor, who worked closely with me to
ensure the timely and successful completion of the volume. My gratitude also goes to
the following reviewers, whose comments and suggestions strengthened two editions
of the book: Janette Holmes, York University; Valda Leighteizer, Mount Saint V
incent
University; Mary Mallik, Lakehead University; Michael Marker, University of
British Columbia; Dolana Mogadime, Brock University; Elizabeth Mooney, U niversity
of Saskatchewan; Mike Parr, Nipissing University; Ruth Rees, Queen’s University;
Shaheen Shariff, McGill University; Michael Warsh, Simon Fraser University. My
thanks also go to friends and colleagues who encouraged and supported me in very
important ways. I acknowledge Esi Visiani Santi, my former graduate student, for the
valuable research support she provided as I developed the first edition.
Finally, I am deeply grateful to my family—your love, support, and patience are
immeasurably, inspirational and sustaining. You, my family, make it all worthwhile;
I am forever indebted to you.
Preface xi
About the Author
xii
Chapter 1
Education and Diversity:
Framing the Issues
Vignette
Mrs. Stephenson, Eastside middle school principal, stood up—a subtle signal that the confer-
ence was over—and extended her hand to Mr. and Mrs. Santos, who, following the cue, also
stood up. As they shook hands with the principal, they promised to “monitor the situation” and
keep her informed if the problem continued. None of the three extended a parting courtesy to
grade-seven teacher Mikayla Stow, who was also in attendance. Stunned at what had just
transpired, Mikayla could only mutter a feeble “Thank you for coming” to Mr. and Mrs. Santos as
she walked out of the principal’s office. As she headed back to her class along the long hallway,
she reflected on the “situation” that Mr. and Mrs. Santos had referred to at the end of the confer-
ence. As far as she could tell, the problem began as innocuous teasing among some of her stu-
dents during recess the previous week. However, for reasons that were still unclear, the teasing
had degenerated into racially offensive name-calling between some minority and White students.
She had intervened and tried her best to resolve the matter. She had even used the incident as
an opportunity to review what she had taught the students about positive conflict resolution.
However, much to her chagrin, Mr. and Mrs. Santos, the parents of one of the minority
students, had expressed dissatisfaction with the way she had handled the matter and had
reported the incident to the principal. Although she had kept her emotions in check during the
conference, she was troubled that Mr. and Mrs. Santos had accused her of being “insensitive” to
the challenges minority students face in school. She was also disappointed that Mrs. Stephenson
had not been entirely supportive. While Mikayla was the first to admit that she was experiencing
some difficulties teaching in a diverse classroom, she also knew that she was doing her best to
1
support all her students, especially given that some of them were recent immigrants to the
country. In fact, some were refugees from a war-torn country whose families had just been
granted asylum. Consequently, she made every effort to provide extra support to this group of
students even though she sometimes felt that her efforts were not achieving the desired results.
As a beginning teacher who believed in progressive educational ideologies, Mikayla was
committed to promoting and modelling the principles of equity and social justice in her
classroom. Why then was she having so much trouble dealing with her diverse students, she
wondered for the umpteenth time. Was it her own background? Was she trying too hard? Had
she not really understood what she’d been taught during her training? Yes, she had learned a lot
of theory, but she wished now that she had been given more opportunity to put some of that
theory to practical use during her practice teaching. But that had been difficult since her coope
rating teachers had remained in charge of maintaining discipline in almost every class she had
been assigned to teach. What was it her professor had said about the link between theory and
practice? “Theory is to practice as practice is to theory.” She wondered if there was any link at
all between both concepts. Sometimes the reality in the field seemed to suggest otherwise.
Despite her misgivings, Mikayla knew that both concepts are inextricably interconnected.
2 Chapter 1
Overall, Canada’s challenges in dealing with diversity are part of a pattern of
increasing student diversity in many Western countries because of massive global
population shifts. To provide the conceptual base for analyzing the discussions that
follow in the rest of the book, some of the theories and assumptions that dominate
discussions of this phenomenon must first be clearly understood. I also examine
how, paradoxically, schools hold the key to changing the status quo through policies
and practices that are not only inclusive and socially just but also affirm the identities
of all students. Finally, I explore various perspectives on the linkages between diversity
and academic achievement.
a shared system of meaning and symbols that account for patterned behaviour
between individuals and among groups. This shared reality allows members of the
community to make sense of the world they live in and to construct plans for
adaptation and survival. Culture in the anthropological sense encompasses a com-
plex range of beliefs and values that (a) define and generate behaviour, (b) contrib-
ute to the security, identity, and survival of community members, and (c) impart
meaning and continuity during periods of social change. (p. 137)
4 Chapter 1
The Individual and Cultural Identity
We are all cultural beings, and our cultural backgrounds influence our perceptions of
the world and, therefore, constitute an essential part of who we are. Moreover, because
each individual simultaneously belongs to at least one macroculture (the national
culture) and one or more subcultures as a function of biology and the environment, we
can say that in reality, human beings are fundamentally multicultural. Equally impor-
tant, the components of our identity are, with few stable biological exceptions, variable,
diverse, and typically fluid. In other words, identity is a complex, multiform phenome-
non, as illustrated in Figure 1.1. For example, hypothetically, Mikayla in the opening
vignette can be described as a White, middle-class, female, Christian, Canadian teacher
of Scottish descent. She therefore belongs to one macroculture (Canadian) and to at
least six different subcultures based on her race (White), social class (middle-class),
gender (female), religion (Christian), profession (teacher), and ethnicity (Scottish). All
of these attributes, some inherited and others socially assigned, contribute to Mikayla’s
identity. It is also noteworthy that some of Mikayla’s identity attributes may change
depending on contextual variables. Overall, people’s cultural identity (their perceptions
of who they are on the basis of their race, ethnicity, gender, social class, religion, etc.) is
inextricably linked to their historical experiences, their world views, and the extent to
which they participate in the groups or subgroups with which they identify (James,
2010). However, this does not mean that people who belong to the same ethnic or
'FWECVKQP )GPFGT
(COKN[
4GNKIKQP
#DKNKV[ 'VJPKEKV[
6JG(NWKFKV[ 6JG(NWKFKV[
QH+FGPVKV[ QH+FGPVKV[
2U[EJQNQIKECN 0CVKQPCNKV[
&KURQUKVKQPU
6JG
+PFKXKFWCN
.CPIWCIG 5QEKCN
%NCUU
)TQWR
%QOOWPKV[
#HƂNKCVKQPU
4CEG %CTGGT
5GZWCN
#IG +FGPVKV[
Our cultural background is our own personal possession and influences how we
view ourselves. However, shared attributes link people to one another, and our percep-
tions of ourselves and our identities also change as our “spaces” change. Certain social
milieux influence our behaviour and perceptions of ourselves profoundly, while others
allow us to remain our authentic selves. Contexts where our identities are reaffirmed and
legitimized will naturally contribute to higher self-esteem, while the reverse is true in
contexts where certain aspects of our identities are delegitimized. For example, for some
minority students, schools can be oppressive social arenas because students’ world
views, although fundamental to their identity, are nonetheless devalued.
In making a case for the empowerment of minority students, Cummins (1996)
argues that some minority students experience so much difficultly negotiating their
identities that they begin to lose sight of who they are. As will be established in the
next section, schools by their very nature, as loci of social transmission, also contrib-
ute to the construction of individual and group identities through their manifest and
latent (the obvious and obscure) functions and their explicit and implicit curricula.
The classification of race, ethnicity, gender, and class have no relevance either as a
basis for assignment of rights or as ground for prejudice and discrimination. They
indicate changing power and social relations. . . . Inherently political because they
veil domination and exclusion, these classifications are symbolic of some form of
underlying power struggle. . . . They are also ideological because they reflect
people’s beliefs. (p. 8)
One question that is often asked within the Canadian context is “Does race matter?”
The answer is a resounding yes. As Fleras (2017) points out, even though Canadians are
ambivalent about the concept, it will continue to count in everyday life and public policy
not because it is real, but because people respond as if it were real. Race matters
not because people are inherently different or unequal, but because perceived
differences may be manipulated as a basis for sorting out privilege and power.
Race matters not because of biological differences, but because an exclusive pre-
occupation with genes detracts from scrutinizing those opportunity structures
that are largely responsible for unequal relations. Race matters because reference
to race has a controlling effect on those who are racially devalued. (p. 52)
8 Chapter 1
In her critically acclaimed book that analyzes the interplay between race and
ethnicity in the classroom, Lisa Delpit (2006) argues that teachers can positively trans-
form the lives of minority children if they dispense with prejudice, stereotypes, and
cultural assumptions, which are in fact the consequence of miscommunications and
miscues when primarily White educators teach “other people’s children.” Critiquing
what she refers to as a “culture of power” that is operational at the microlevel of the
classroom, she argues that because the culture of power emanates from the perspectives
of those who already control power in society (the dominant group), navigating the
culture that schools transmit is easier for children from such backgrounds. To elaborate
her point, Delpit (2006: 24) identifies five key aspects of this culture of power as follows:
1. Issues of power are enacted in the classroom.
2. There are codes or rules for participating in power.
3. The rules of a culture of power are a reflection of the rules of the culture of
those who have power.
4. If you are not already a participant in the culture of power, being told explicitly
the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier.
5. Those with power are frequently least aware of—or least willing to acknowledge—
its existence. Those with less power are often most aware of its existence.
She goes on to argue that, in the first instance, the issues include the curriculum,
the resources, the power of the teacher over students, and the explicit and implicit
functions of the school. The codes in the second constituent of power include lin-
guistic codes, communicative competencies, ways of self-presentation, ways of writ-
ing, and so on. In this case, success in school and society depends on the acquisition
of the cultural values or culture bases (as argued below) of dominant society, specifi-
cally those who control the resources. Delpit’s fourth constituent of the culture of
power argues that since schooling is a culture-mediated experience, teachers are mor-
ally compelled to teach their nonmainstream students the codes that are necessary to
succeed in society. The fifth point that Delpit suggests is often neglected in related
discourses underscores the fact that quite often, people who have power in society
either by virtue of their numbers, social positioning, or race are the last to acknowl-
edge it. For them, power is a taken-for-granted phenomenon that is recognized and
alluded to only by those who do not have it. Delpit’s argument brings to mind the
well-known treatise on the impact of power, White Privilege by Peggy McIntosh
(1990), which provides compelling insights into the taken-for-granted advantages that
accrue to “Whiteness” institutionally, systemically, and in everyday life. Such privi-
leges grant beneficiaries certain rights and freedoms (including the right to participate
in a culture of power) that are not available to non-White members of society. More-
over, this privilege tends to be invisible and even denied by members of the dominant
group. This is true of Canada as it is true of many Western societies that subscribe to
liberal-democratic ideologies. Ironically, while its control of power can be invisible
10 Chapter 1
who yield that power. Gramsci (1971) argues that individuals are not passive agents
and, therefore, have the potential to resist their ideological colonization in order to
change oppressive social structures. When people become conscious of disempower-
ing social structures, they develop counter-hegemonic resistance (Darder, Torres, and
Baltodano, 2017) and challenge the status quo, including unfair practices, ideologies,
and attitudes that are transmitted through the school.
12 Chapter 1
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also
govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most
countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the
United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms
of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying,
performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this
work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes
no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in
any country other than the United States.
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the
method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The
fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark,
but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty
payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on
which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your
periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked
as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information
about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation.”
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.F.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in
paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of
other ways including checks, online payments and credit card
donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.