Document Type
Issue Area One
Abstract
The following assumptions have formed the foundation for multicultural education since its inception in the late 1960s.
• Self-esteem is crucial to learning.
• By learning varying perspectives, students have an opportunity to become critical thinkers.
• If few minorities can be found in curricular materials, then minorities will be perceived as less important, less worthy, and less significant by all students.
• Certain groups that have been underrepresented, omitted, or portrayed in stereotypic ways may fail to develop their full potential.
• Presenting only one interpretation, ignoring differing viewpoints, and offering unrealistic coverage in curriculum denies students the information they need to recognize, understand, and perhaps someday conquer the problems that plague our society (Howard, 1989).
• Curriculum that adequately addresses the concerns and needs of people of color in education is not just for people who are different from the majority, it's for all people. Inclusiveness offers a vision and healing perspective for everyone.
• Separating or isolating issues related to minorities implies these issues are less important and only a corollary to the mainstream of the human experience (Grayson, 1990). Black History Month, Japanese American Week, or Puerto Rican Afternoon are superficial addendums to a Eurocentric curriculum. These become a "special" part of the curriculum and not integral to basic education.
• Curriculum must be relevant to students' lives.
• Co-responsibility is recognizing that we share the problem-solving responsibility even if an issue involves others not of our ethnic group. We are still affected by it as a larger societal issue. When one is oppressed we are all oppressed.
• Curriculum that adequately addresses the concerns and needs of all youth will include activities that build self-esteem.
Journal Title
Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series
Volume
2
Issue
2
First Page
32
Last Page
35
Publisher
Institute for Educational Leadership, University of Northern Iowa
City
Cedar Falls, IA
Copyright
©1991 Institute for Educational Leadership, College of Education, and University of Northern Iowa
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Soria-Dunn, Michele
(1991)
"Issue One: Curriculum that Adequately Addresses the Concerns and Needs of People of Color in Education [Soria-Dunn],"
Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series: Vol. 2:
No.
2, Article 10.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/iel_monographs/vol2/iss2/10
