Getting Culture

How do we educate our students about cultural diversity and cultural differences, and eliminate cultural ignorance, stereotyping, and prejudice? What are the conceptual issues involved in reaching this goal? How can we integrate these perspectives in disciplinary and diversity courses, and the curriculum?This book is a resource for answering these questions. Within the framework of current scholarship and discussion of essential concepts, it offers practical techniques, and empirically proven “best practices” for teaching about diversity. The book opens with a conceptual framework, covering such issues as distinguishing teaching to a diverse audience from teaching about diversity and contrasting the incorporation of culture across the curriculum with tokenistic approaches. Subsequent chapters identify classroom practices that can optimize students’ learning, especially those from culturally diverse backgrounds; describe feminist principles of education that that promote learning for all students; and address principles of effective on-line instruction for diverse populations.The book is intended for faculty integrating diversity into existing courses, and for anyone creating courses on diversity. The ideas and suggestions in the text can be incorporated into any class that includes a discussion of diversity issues or has a diverse student enrollment. The contributors offer pragmatic and tested ways of overcoming student misconceptions and resistance, and for managing emotional responses that can be aroused by the discussion of diversity. The editors aim to stimulate readers’ thinking and inspire fresh ideas. The book further provides teachers of diversity with a range of effective exercises, and attends to such issues as teacher stress and burnout.This book can also serve to inform and guide department chairs and other administrators in the design and implementation of diversity initiatives.