MultiCultural+Issues+Sec+1

**Multicultural Issues**

__ **Our Paper** __

Multicultural and gender issues are becoming more and more prevalent in not only our communities but our schools as well. With this amount of diversity in our community and schools, we as educators must recognize and respect that our students come from different cultures and backgrounds. The classroom has now become a melting pot of diversity. With recognizing and respecting these differences we now focus our attention to educate ourselves on some of the most current issues such as race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Throughout the United States, race and ethnicity are becoming more and more diverse. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSPjQsmMqhk) Over the past forty years or so, people have been immigrating from various countries and continents including Asia, Mexico, Central America and the Middle East. Race and ethnicity are linked and appear as similar, but they are certainly not the same. “Race” is defined by the Oxford American Dictionary as, “each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics”; “a group of people sharing the same culture, history, language, etc; an ethnic group”; “a group or set of people or things with a common feature or features.” Race has not been accepted as an appropriate and justifiable scientific concept for the classification of people, but it has been used and is continued to be used to sort people in the United States. The Oxford American Dictionary defines the term “ethnicity” as, “the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.” Both race and ethnicity hold some influence over an individual’s cultural identity and status within society. Being aware of the race and ethnicity that each student in one’s classroom identifies with is crucial to his or her success as an educator.( [] ) In order to determine a student’s learning styles, prior content knowledge or cultural experiences the teacher needs to observe and listen to the student and his or her parents. Assessment is very important as one notices and reflects on student performance in order to develop successful teaching strategies. One way to help students understand that his or her teacher respects their background and experiences is by making it relatable. Relating what is being taught and the world as the students know it is one of the best ways to ensure the students that the teacher respects them. In order to be an effective teacher one must teach a single concept by explaining it in a variety of ways and try to relate it to something that each student understands and has knowledge of. ( [] ) One important element of diversity within the classroom is that of language diversity. In the United States, over fifty million residents speak a language other than English at home. English in school usually replaces native languages, except in schools that value bilingualism. Gender is a word which suggests many ideas- male, female, gender roles, gender issues, and even gender biases or stereotypes. An important piece to remember is that all of these thoughts are a part of what makes our knowledge of gender today. Gender is defined as “the wide set of characteristics that are seen to distinguish between male and female.” However in today’s society we extend gender to also incorporate social roles or how one is seen in society by their own gender (the role in which a particular gender “plays” in society) and gender identity (which sex, male or female, that a person identifies themselves with or belonging to- their own biological sex or not), both of which have an impact on the idea of gender.( []) Some note that gender differs from sex in the sense that sex is a biological function, and gender is a social construct. The lines between gender and sex have become blurred as we define and redefine what gender means to each person and to society. Gender today incorporates much more than male and female and is no longer how we are defined, but rather how we define it. Society has created gender roles, coined by John Money in 1955, or ideas which have dictated to people as to what jobs to have, education to obtain, the life to lead, how to act, dress, and even think. Gender has multiple definitions because of its multiple uses in society and language. Gender is embedded into our work, home, school, hobbies, and even language. Empowering people with knowledge of what gender means to others from various backgrounds, cultures, ethnic groups, religions, and even genders allows more understanding and acknowledgement that diversity among people is growing and crucial to our lives. ([|http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/gender.html]) Although gender itself refers to both sides of the biological scale, meaning male and female, women have had the problems in obtaining rights and equal treatment.1920 signified a wave of empowerment for women and their rights with the United States passing women’s right to vote, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. (The first country to allow women to vote was New Zealand in 1893, while the United Arab Emirates added women’s suffrage in 2006 and Saudi Arabia doesn’t let women vote. ( [] ) Along with voting, women emerged from the “role” of “housewife”, and began entering the work force. In 1900 there were 5,319 women in the workplace compared to 2007, with 67,792 women in the workplace, a vast change from 1900. ([] ) Getting women and men into the workforce together was hard enough, now came the wage crisis between male and females. Gender bias (some refer to this as gender stereotypes), began affecting every aspect of the workplace and media, finding that “men received three-quarters of the front page references and appeared in two-thirds of the front page pictures in the mid 1990s.” The wage gap, or the difference in wages between men in women were dealt with in 1963 with the Equal Pay Act, made it illegal for an employer to pay men and women differently who had the same job, did the same work while being the same ages, educational background and living in the same areas. In 1963 women made 58 cents for every dollar that was earned by a man compared to 2006 where women made only 76.6% as much as men. After the 1900-1940s, there was a “second wave of feminist movements” sparked by Betty Friedan and her book The Feminine Mystique in 1963. This book helped to shed light on the “roles” most women were forced to take, blaming the social construct of gender roles for gender inequality problems. Today we find groups such as UNIFEM- United Nations Development Fund for Women which works to help educate and promote the achievement of gender equality and women empowerment. They focus on several areas including poverty and economics, violence against women, HIV and AIDS, women, war, and peace, as well as democratic governance, human rights, and future goals for our country. ( []) In education, Title IX was put into place, prompted by Edith Wharton, which states, **"No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal aid." Before this title women were discriminated against, because of gender, in sports, entrances to the schools, in choosing courses and in classes. ** This Title increased not only the number of women in sports, better treatment in school, and taking “non-traditional” courses in school to lead to obtaining new jobs in the workplace previously not even offered to women. However gender in education is still an issue, although schools adhering to Title IX, many don’t give girls all of the opportunities that are given to boys. Issues such as “gender bias in student/teacher interactions, participation and achievement of girls in mathematics and science, students enrolling in and completing vocational education courses historically non-traditional to their sex, gender bias in standardized testing, gender differences in learning styles, and sexual harassment.” In order to make any strides in finding solutions to gender problems we must ask the following questions posed on ([]). Steps can be taken such as “conducting and reviewing classroom data, surveys of staff and other educational related persons, revamping vocational programs and classes to include every person regardless of gender, making sure a policy regarding sex harassment is in place and acknowledged, a policy on fair testing and test reviews/skills, enable means for covering the costs, and conduct training for teachers and various approaches for identifying and accommodating different learning styles. Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, and Existentialism are all philosophical schools of thought that can relate to Gender. An idealist view would understand that gender has a large history and learning this history can help influence our opinions and lives for the future. Lots of questions and discussion would help further the education of gender. Realism suggests that rationality is important, with gender it would be difficult to use only logic to understand. Those who face gender identity problems, caught in gender biases or stereotypes, or other issues with gender roles are in that position because people believe it is the “logical” thing to do, which is simply not true anymore. Pragmatism would be the greatest philosophical view to help others understand gender. Because this view promotes and stresses evolving and change, the notion that society is consistently changing also directly relates gender issues, it is time for a change for the positive. Existentialism focuses on the self and the individual, while this may be great for understanding one’s own identity and gender, relating to others and understanding others’ ideas of gender maybe difficult. Researching gender allowed me to rethink my personal philosophy of education. I never understood how much my gender, my gender identity as well as views on gender roles will impact my future classroom. I know now that gender is important to who I am and will be important to who my students are and who they will become. I know that my number one goal as a teacher is to not only know and understand my students but know and understand where they come from, their culture, and the stories they want to tell. I realize that gender is a piece of their stories and I must make an effort to be consciously aware of each individual’s gender. Educating my students as well as myself in matters such as these, is the way to not only promote knowledge but awareness. The students in our classroom are extremely diverse. One of the ways that is emerging in today schools is students’ sexual orientation. Most people only really think that different sexual orientations came out in the open in the past 10 years. Homosexuality has been a source of persecution for a long time. However, the gay rights movement started in the 1920s. In 1924 the Society for Human Rights was started in Chicago and is known as the earliest known gay rights organization (High Beam Research 2005). During the 1950s being ousted as a homosexual was enough to be fired from their jobs and ostracized by the community. Under president Eisenhower homosexuality was a viable reason to be fired from a federal position in defense industries and those that had government contracts [|(SafeZone 2002)]. In 1951 The Mattachine Society was started by Harry Hay and became the first national gay rights organization ([|High Beam Research 2005]). Over the years the gay rights had gained momentum with the call for same sex marriage. There are many students who identify themselves being as a different sexual orientation than heterosexual. For many students this means the possibility of being harassed and or ignored in schools. Students often feel that there are being ignored in school and as a result of that feel like they are not accepted. Many teachers exhibit homophobic attitudes and gender role beliefs ([|Mikulsky 2005]). This causes some teachers to not even acknowledge that these students exist in the classroom. This is most apparent in health education classes ([|Lee 2002]). In the most progressive schools this issue could be addressed just by including in general health class. It can also be infused in all the major subject of study. Those that are more conservative might continue to ignore the issue. In order to be an effective teacher he or she needs to be accepting of all students no matter what their sexual orientation is. As educators we must be mindful of not only our own beliefs and culture but mindful and respectful of our students’ as well. Through educating ourselves about race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation we open our minds to the differences within our classroom. Recognizing that each student truly is an individual and giving them the knowledge and power to succeed in our ever changing diverse world is giving our future a brighter chance for tomorrow.

**__Our Resources:__**

Gender-

EPS 304, University of Illinois. "Gender Issues- An Educator's Guide to Gender Bias Issues." College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 2002. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. . This website offered a unique perspective on gender equality in relation to technology. It also provided various definitions and information on gender biases and gender gaps among students in relation to the usage of technology.

"Feminist Movement." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Jan. 2006. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. . This website provided me a background of the feminist movements as well as details about each "wave" of the movements.

"Gender." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. July 2003. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. . This website, Wikipedia, was used as a general source for definitions, ideas based from and on gender identity and gender roles, as well as gender terminology. It provided a great background for the topic of gender.

“Gender Issues (women's suffrage, the wage gap, domestic violence)." Infoplease. 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. 13 Oct. 2010 . This website provided a lot of great information on the history of women’s rights, women in the workplace, and the wage gap.

Humm, Maggie. 1978. The Dictionary of Feminist Theory. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. This book was used a resource to provide information and definitions on all of the segments of gender including gender language, gender identity, gender biases and stereotypes, and gender roles.

Johnson, J. A., Dupuis, V. L., Musial, D., Hall, G. E., Gollick, D. M. (2010). Foundations of American Education. (15th Edition). Allyn and Bacon: Boston, MA. Using our classroom book as a starting point, it provided a wealth of knowledge for the history and factual side of gender. It allowed the research to dive into further detail after establishing a solid foundation.

Kearl, Michael C. "Gender and Society: A Matter of Nature or Nurture?" Trinity University | Welcome. Michael C Kearl. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. . This website offered information on "gender and society" providing additional links and information on dates, places, and people prevalent to the topic.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. "Beyond Title IX: Gender Equity Issues in Schools." BEYOND TITLE IX: GENDER EQUITY ISSUES IN SCHOOLS. The NETWORK, Inc., 1993. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. <http://www.maec.org/beyond.html#preface->. This website was my greatest resource. It offered not only information on gender, gender roles, and gender biases or stereotypes but also information and education for teachers. It provides questions and solutions to gender problems specifically gender equality within the classroom and schools.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shah, Anup. “Gender and Population Issues.” Global Issues. 13 Jun. 2001. Accessed: 13 Oct. 2010. <[]> This website provided much information on gender in relation to population issues. Although I did not use it in my paper, it can be helpful for further gender education.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"The Wage Gap." Infoplease. 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 13 Oct. 2010 <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763170.html#ixzz11cT623CF>. This website gave information on the past and present statistics regarding the wage gap or the differences between men and women in the workplace due to gender.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Timeline of Women%u2019s Suffrage Granted, by Country." Infoplease. 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. 13 Oct. 2010 <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0931343.html#ixzz11cTF5S3c>. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This website gave me a timeline for when the various countries allowed women to vote.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">United Nations Development Fund for Women. "Gender Issues - UNIFEM." UNIFEM - United Nations Development Fund for Women. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. <http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues>. This website is one of the many organizations put in place to help promote gender education and equality. It supports the development of women specifically in relation to their rights and gender equality. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">United Nations. "United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women Homepage." Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. 2000. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/index.html>. This website offers a look into another program/group put in place to help promote and enact change regarding gender issues and equality. This website educates on empowering and increasing the advancement of women in the world in relation to their gender and equality.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 200%;">"Women in the Labor Force." Infoplease. 2000–2007 Pearson Education, Infoplease. 13 Oct. 2010 <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104673.html#ixzz11cTQu2PE>. This website gave details on women in the workforce and how their gender affected their daily lives. It was a great resource because it showed the detail of gender biases and stereotypes in society. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Interesting article on gender in the workplace in the 21st century]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Gender Biases in children's literature]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|EnGendering Awareness in Trainee Teachers]

Ethnicity and Race-

Fish, Larri. "Building Blocks: The First Steps of Creating a Multicultural Classroom." __Critical Multicultural Pavilion__. 2010. Paul C. Gorski. 11 October, 2010. <http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/buildingblocks.html>.As mentioned in the title of the web page, this essay discusses how to approach designing a multicultural classroom and how to ensure its success.

Johnson, J. A., Dupuis, V. L., Musial, D., Hall, G. E., Gollick, D. M. (2010). //Foundations of American Education//. (15th Edition). Allyn and Bacon: Boston, MA. The textbook discusses race and diversity in a variety of forms, looking at the history, definitions, roles in the classroom, categorization, and the part that the educator should play in addressing these multicultural issues within the classroom.

Longatan, Nancy. (2009). Non-verbal Communication Can Be a Cross-Cultural Challenge. 9 October, 2010 from http://www.suite101.com/content/issues-for-the-multicultural-classroom-a117187. This article from the Suite 101.com website provides interesting and useful insight into how teachers need to use a myriad of ways to communicate across cultures to reach each student in the classroom. As far as improving the cross cultural communication success and ability to reach each student, no matter his or her cultural background, teachers need to be aware of the significant differences that exist in non-verbal communication between various cultures, specifically those that impact teaching and learning within the classroom.

"Multicultural Education: Diversity Issues in the Classroom". 31 October, 2009. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSPjQsmMqhk>. 9 October, 2010. This youtube video is useful in how it provides suggestions for ways to create and ensure the productive progress of a multicultural classroom. It includes tips on what to include in the classroom, from materials and various aspects of lessons, that can reach each student, embracing their different cultural backgrounds. Additionally it talks about what not to do when trying to create a safe and genuine multicultural classroom.

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Sexual Orientation-

Highbeam Research. (2005). “The American Gay Rights Movement: A Timeline”. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from [] This offers a detailed timeline of the gay rights movement in America.

Lee,C.(2002). “Gay Teens Ignored by High School Sex Ed Classes”. //Women’s News.// Retrieved October 11, 2010 from [] This is an article written about how gay teen feel left out in health classes because in most cases they are not acknowledged.

Mikulsky, J. (Feb. 2005) "Silencing (Homo)Sexualities in School ... A Very Bad Idea," M/C Journal, 8(1). Retrieved 14 Oct. 2010 from <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0502/06-mikulsky.php>. This is a detailed report on how by not acknowledging homosexuality in the classroom can be detrimental to learning. It also has to strong ideas about how teachers inadvertently voice their opinions by ignoring issues.

SafeZone.(2002). “ A Brief History of Homosexuality in America”. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from [] This gives a detailed history of homosexuality in America. Includes the start of important organizations and movements.