EDUC 2301: Introduction to Special Populations Spring Creek Campus, I-111 Dr. Nita Thomason A...

EDUC 2301: Introduction to Special Populations

Spring Creek Campus, I-111Dr. Nita Thomason

A Changing SocietyDiversity Matters

Culture

“Students who feel their culture is valued and understood by the school and the larger community tend to do better in school than those who feel it is

rejected.”

It is important that educators understand, respect, value, and embrace diverse cultural perspectives and ways of being in the world (Ashworth, 1992, p. 14).

©2012 Cengage Learning.All Rights Reserved.

Define culture.

Culture, as the term is used in this text, refers to: “characteristic[(s)] of ([an)] individual’s society, or some subgroups within the society . . . ([it]) includes, values, beliefs, notions about acceptable and unacceptable behavior, and other socially constructed ideas that members of the culture are taught are true.


The Reality of Social Change

Two major social changes affecting education are taking place:– Changes in demographics– Changes in social institutions

4

Form Homogeneous Group of 6 based on one of the following characteristics

• Race• Social Class• Sex/Gender• Disability• Religious Affiliation• Immigrant

For Reflection and Discussion

What messages have you received about:– ways different facial groups are treated– what sexual orientations are acceptable– what it means to be male and female– the importance of amassing wealth– how disabilities are viewed– what “making it” means– how religious affiliation impacts respect


Demographics in Transition

Three factors resulting in changing demographics:– High immigration rates– High birthrates among some segments of

the population– Aging population

7

Institutions in Transition

A social institution is a formal, recognized, established, and stabilized way of pursuing some important activity in society.

Social institutions provide rules, or social norms, that become internalized in individuals.

When institutions change, so do the norms they provide.

8

Changes in Institutions

In today’s world, all social institutions are experiencing fundamental change:– Economics—globalization– Politics—new alignments of nations– Family—new forms of family life– Religion—confusion and controversy

surrounding the role of religion in public education and in the public square

9

Changes in Economics and Politics

Economically, there has been a shift from:– Loyalty to a single company to loyalty to

one’s own self-interest– A national to a global focus

Politically, there has been a shift from:– Political interest within our own borders to

interest in political events around the world

10

Changes in the Family

More women are in the workforce.The divorce rate is high.More families are in poverty.New family “forms” are becoming

common (e.g., single-parent families, blended families).

More intermarriage between ethnic and religious groups.

11

Changes in Religious Organizations

Immigrants are bringing unfamiliar religions and religious ideas to the society.

Various “new age” religious affiliations are emerging. There is a rise in fundamentalist religious groups in

all major religions. Religious groups are becoming important “players”

in the political arena, both in the US and globally. Gaps of understanding of religion are evident

between younger generation and the older generation, as well as between various religious groups

12

Schools as a Reflection of Social Change

Changing demographics among students– Increasing number of children of color– Increasing numbers of children whose first

language is not English– Increasing inclusion of children with

disabilities in classrooms– Increasing attention to differential treatment

of boys and girls in classrooms– Increasing religious diversity within

communities

13

Define race.

Race is thought to be a concept used to classify people according to physical characteristics, such as skin and eye pigmentation, facial features, shape of head, and texture of body hair (Hernandez, 1989).

Yet in reality race is first and foremost a social construction.


Race

Race is a social construct with social

relevance that is used to elevate a dominant group while oppressing others.


What is Racial Identity Development?

• Racial identity development is the extent one understands racial disparity in society and the extent to which one is comfortable with her/his own and other racial groups.

• Identify qualities that characterize the stages of white and minority racial identity development.


What is SES?

• Social class or socioeconomic status (SES) is the term used to distinguish a person’s position in society relative to others within that society.

• Parental occupation, education level, political power, and income serve as the basis for a student’s SES.


What are SES effects?

Class distinctions determine:• the location, safety, comfort, and

convenience of homes and neighborhoods in which we live;

• the quality of the healthcare and schooling we receive;

• the worldviews we hold; and • how we relate to others in society.


Are males and females treated differently in the U.S.?

• Are feminine and masculine characteristics and behaviors valued differently in the United States.

• When people adhere to traits such as emotionality, nurturance, and delicacy, are they devalued and systematically disadvantaged in society.


In what ways does sexism exist in schools and affect achievement according to Spradlin?

Even successful female students have:• less confidence in their abilities, • higher expectations of failure, • habits of dependency, • negative attribution styles, • weakened leadership skills, and • more modest occupational aspirations than boys do.

Girls are less likely, therefore, to reach their potential than boys.


Another Perspective – Raising Cain: Boys in Focus/ Thompson Documentary

• American Boys Are in Trouble.– Unable to express emotions– Doing worse in the classroom than

previously• Who is Responsible• How can we guide boys on the path to

becoming responsible and caring men?

What is sexual identity and sexual orientation?

• Sexual identity is the degree to which we identify with the social and biological aspects of being a man or a woman.

• Sexual orientation is an integral part of sexual identity and is defined by who we are emotionally and/or to whom we are physically attracted.


Define disability.

• The medical model definition focuses on individuals’ functional limitations (impairments) and identifies impairments as the cause of disadvantages experienced.

• The social model, in contrast, identifies disabling social, environmental, and attitudinal barriers rather than individuals’ so called “lack of ability” as the cause of disadvantages experienced.


Marginalization and Privilege

1. What is marginalization?- Acculturation

- Assimilation

2. What are the effects of privilege in schools?

3. How is marginalization evidence in schools?

- Ethnocentrism

- Prejudice

- Oppression©2012 Cengage Learning.

All Rights Reserved.

Identify four types of racism.

• Individual racism • Institutional racism• Cultural racism • Aversive racism


Affirmative Action

Federal contractors are required to take affirmative action to ensure that all applicants, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, were hired and treated fairly in their employment and to use every effort necessary to implement strategies that would result in equal employment opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups.


EDUC 2301: Introduction to Special Populations Spring Creek Campus, I-111 Dr. Nita Thomason A...

Documents

Transcript of EDUC 2301: Introduction to Special Populations Spring Creek Campus, I-111 Dr. Nita Thomason A...