Session 1 Introduction

1. Session 1 Introduction EDUC 553 Session 1

2. Introduction 2 • Cultural authenticity in children’s literature… • Is a potentially contentious issue that frequently resurfaces • Elicits a wide range of perspectives and strong emotions • Authors, illustrators, editors, publishers, educators, librarians, and scholars have different points of view about authenticity • They may each have strong feelings based on their own sociocultural experiences and philosophical views • Varying definitions of culture and multiculturalism are central to debates about cultural authenticity • Culture and multiculturalism are sometimes defined superficially only in terms of the awareness and appreciation of the traditions, artifacts, and ways of life of particular groups of people • Sources: Fox & Short (2003). Stories matter: The complexity of cultural authenticity in children’s literature; Norton (2007). Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children’s Literature Benedictine University

3. Introduction 3 • Culture can be understood as • …all the ways in which people live and think in the world • Multiculturalism • Is often viewed as a curriculum reform movement • This ‘movement’ involves changing curriculum to include more content and children’s books about ethnic groups, women, and other cultural groups. • This view limits the goals of multicultural education • ‘Culturally relevant” pedagogy… • Is built on the cultures of students • To maintain those cultures and • To “transcend the negative effects of the dominant culture” (Ladson-Billings, p. 17 (1994)) Benedictine University

4. 4 Why Teachers Use Multicultural Literature • The goal is for children to… • Recognize the importance of and to respect: • Each child’s cultural group • The universal human rights and freedoms for all people      • Gain respect for and tolerance of cultural differences  • Be prepared for responsible life in a free society • Learn perspective-taking and conflict management Benedictine University

5. Introduction to Multicultural Children’s Literature Norton, Chapter 1

6. Demographic Shifts Benedictine University “Nearly half of children under 5 are racial or ethnic minorities and the percentage is increasing mainly because the Hispanic population is growing so rapidly” One in three Americans is now a member of a minority group The number of Hispanic and Asian children under 5 has grown by double-digit percentages since 2000

7. Statistics & Research Benedictine University The nation’s population of minority students has surged to 42% of public school enrollment, up from 22% three decades ago” Researchers emphasize the need for high-quality multicultural literature “The best books break down borders.” “They extend that phrase ‘likeme’ to include what we thought was foreign and strange” Rochman

8. And now… Then… Benedictine University

9. Why Develop Multicultural Education? Benedictine University Acknowledge differences to find commonalities Interweave the best of all cultures in a given society Restore cultural rights through emphasizing cultural equality and respect Students learn to respect cultures while addressing basic skills and a basic education Provide a more balanced view of U.S. society

10. Multicultural needs… Benedictine University What do we need to make it work? Cultural sensitivity in stories Culturally conscious literature Books that reflect and illuminate varied heritages Exposure to multicultural literature that heightens respect for individuals Literature that contributes the values of cultural minorities

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12. Identified needs … Benedictine University • High literary quality • Culturally authentic text • Sensitivity in selecting materials • Considerations of morality: • Morality is defined as: • Judgments of what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad. • These judgments… are produced at the meeting point between personal values, beliefs, and standards and their negotiation in social settings • Morality then crucially includes bothindividualand social judgments(Johnson, Juhasz, Marken, Ruiz (1998) quoted in Norton)

13. Availability of high-quality multicultural literature Benedictine University Availability of resources/books may be an issue for certain cultures See Chart 1 – 1 on p. 5 “Books that received starred reviews in 2006” ( Multicultural Children’s Literature)

14. Sequence for studying multicultural literature (See Chart 1 – 2 page 7) Benedictine University

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20. In Conclusion… Benedictine University • The United States and Canada are multicultural nations with people from many backgrounds • Europeans, Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians • These two nations also include people from different religious groups • Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, American Indian (First Nations), all of which also have different denominations • A heightened sensitivity to the needs of all people has led to the realization that literature plays a considerable role in the development of understanding across cultures