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Education 441
Cultural Differences in Education
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Instructor: Dr. T.
Course DescritiOfl
IL Morris
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1.
To explore the impact of
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such cultural factors as
race, sex, language, ethnicity and social classon
the process of education.
2.
To describe and analyse the effects on inter-group
relations and education of such phenomena as prejudice,
racism, discrimination, stereotyping, assimilation,
valuing and selective perception.
3.
To develop frameworks and observational techniques through
which to enhance understanding of the cultural context
of schooling.
4.
To examine various approaches to the improvement of inter-
cultural communication within schools and other educational
settings.
5.
To investigate alternative approaches to the development
of culturally sensitive curriculum.
6.
To assess the relationship betweendecision-making in
education and such social issues as multi-culturalism,
bilingualism, inequality,.rflifloritY group rights and
community control of schools.
COURSE TOPICS
I
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The Concept of Culture and Its Relationship To Education
II ?
Problems in Defining and Interpreting Cultural Differences.
III The Family as an Educational Context: Change and possibility
For Growth.
IV Ethnicity and Education
(a)
Ethnic Identity and Schooling
(b)
Ethnic Values and School Values
(c)
Ethnic Differences and Educational Policy
(d)
Approaches to Ethnic Studies In the Curriculum
(e)
Education and Immigration
V ?
Social Class and Education
al
Success
(a)
Family Background and Educational Success
(b)
The Structure of Inequality in Education
(c)
Social class, Language Codes and Learning Style
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Other Cultural- i'actors to be Discussed: sex role stereotyping
and racism.
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VI
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Education and The Dynamics of Inter-Group Relations
(a)
Historical Factors: The Canadian Case: Immigration
Policy and Assimilation.
(b)
Psychological Factors: Prejudice, stereotyping,
conformity, selective perception, valuing, labelling.
(c)
Socio-cultural factors: status threat, urbanization
marginalization, enculturation, social distance.
(d)
Inter-Group Relations: An Ecological Approach
VII Examining School Culture
(a)
Values and the Hidden Curriculum
(b)
Ethnographic Techniques for observing school settings.
(c)
De-Coding the Cultural Environment of Schools.
(d)
School Culture and the Problem of Educational Change.
VIII Inter-Cultural Communication
(a)
Culture-General and Cultural Specific Models
(b)
Inter-Cultural Communication Models: Imersion,
Culture shock, rational, simulation, case study,
sensitivity roles as cultures, contrast-Canadian,
exchanges.
(c)
Designing Inter-Cultural Communication Programs
For Students and Teachers.
IX Alternative Approaches to the Development of Culturally
Sensitive Curriculum
(a)
Culture Selection
(b)
Cultural Futures
(c)
value-Centered Models
(d)
Affective Education
(e)
Conflict Models
(f)
Experiential Models
(g)
Attitudinal Change Strategies
(h)
Political Education
(i)
GroupHistOrieS, etc.
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Cultural Issues, Social Policy and Canadian Education
COURSE FORMAT
The course material will be dealt with in four ways: presentations
by the instructor, workshops, student seminars and field
observations.
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STUDEN
T
EVAL U T I ON
(1)
Each student, working in a group of three, will plan, develop
and present a seminar to the class. The seminar will focus
on the educational applications of the concepts, theories
and models discussed in class. A suggeste
d
list of topics
will be provided by the instructor.
(2) Project
Students will have an option to undertake one of the following:
(1)
Design and conduct an ethnography within an educational
setting involving more than one identifiable cultural
group.
(2)
Describe and analyse the status of policy related to a
selected cultural or social issue.
(3)
Develop a curriculum framework through which to improve
cross-cultural awareness and understanding.
(4)
Review research which relates to the impact of cultural
factors on school performance.
(5)
participate and report on a program or instititiOfl which
has, among its goals, the improvement of cross cultural
understanding or reduction of social and economic inequities.
(3) Take-Home Exam
BOOKS
Jerry Rose, Peoples: The Ethnic Dimension In Human Relations
(Rand-McNally, 1976) paperback (required)
Elliot
ArOflSofl,
The Social Animal (San Fransisco, W.H. Freeman?
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& co
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76) second
iedition, paperback, (required)
A. Wolfgang, The Education of Immigrant Students (OISE, 1976)
paperback (required)
Edward T. Hall, Beyond Culture, (NY, Doubleday, 1977) pb.
Additional articles and a bibliography will be available at
the outset of the course.