Culture and Perspectives

Perspectives on US Society

• Ravitch A Culture in Common

• Hilliard Why we must Pluralize the Curriculum

• Banks Multicultural Education for Freedom's Sake

"Multiculturalism is divisive" (Ravitch) and multicultural education is "designed to reduce race, class and gender divisions in the US and world" (Banks)

Beliefs Related to Ethnicity and Pluralism in US

Cultural                                                                                                                (Common Culture) Pluralist/Separatist___________________Multiethnic________________Assimilationist

                                          Hilliard                      Banks                                         Ravitch

Cultural Pluralist/Separatist:

• Ethnic Identities are very important - Society made up of competing ethnic groups

• Importance of commitment to ethnic group - provides opportunities for participation

• Ethnic groups important for socialization - identity and support

• Ethnic minority cultures different not deficient

Assimilationist Ideology:

• Belief in the common culture as the unifier

• Ethnic attachments are fleeting and temporary - modern society emphasis on the universalistic

• Strong ethnic attachments are dysfunctional - priority of integration not ethnic separation

• To promote full socialization of all individuals and groups into the shared culture

The "common culture" more as ideology than reality.

Whose perspectives are we teaching? (Zinn)

My grandfather read the first chapter of this book and told me that if I was planning on telling my students what Zinn wrote then I would be doing a disservice to the kids. In fact, he called Zinn's work "bogus". However, I remain undeterred and plan on teaching history in a way Zinn would support.

Factors:

• Teacher's lenses/biases/awareness

• State curriculum

• Press of time

• Developmental considerations?

Is it a lack of a written record the problem as to why some groups voices have been omitted?

Careful with "the winners of wars" want to shout their victory - bragging rights -(and the losers don't.)