Chapter 2 Prejudice, Discrimination and Education Introduction to Special Populations

Definitions Prejudice - bigotry based on racial, ethnic, gender or religious grounds Discrimination - an action or behavior based on prejudice Racism - systemic or institutional conditions that provide some people more consistent and easier access to opportunity based on race or ethnicity

Definitions Marginalization – an oppressed group with a low status in society Ethnocentrism – a view that one’s own group is the center of everything Acculturation – extinguishing customs associated with a culture Assimilation – dominant culture accepts a minority group as respected member of society Cultural Inversion – rejecting certain forms of behavior as inappropriate for a group because behaviors seen as “White”

The Story of Sandor Teszler sionate_life.html

Identify four types of racism. Individual racism Institutional racism Cultural racism Aversive racism ©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

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. ©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

For Reflection and Discussion Have you ever experienced prejudice or discrimination? -- how did you feel? -- what did you do? What is important to you about your ethnicity? -- how did you first learned about your own ethnicity? What messages have you received about: –ways different racial groups are treated –what it means to be male and female –how disabilities are viewed –how religious affiliation impacts respect

Children as young as 18 months notice race. By the age of three, children will start choosing to play with people of their own race more than people of another race. When we abstain from discussing race with our kids, we may confuse them and implicitly send the message that it is bad or wrong to talk about racial differences. Research suggests that parents should be more pro- active in recognizing and discussing racial differences while communicating it is wrong to hold racial prejudices. Allison Briscoe-Smith & Rodolfo Mendoza-Den ton “Greater Good”

Guidelines for Helping Young Children Confront Prejudice Respond Promptly Give simple answers Model respectful behavior Acknowledge children’s fears Clarify misconceptions Introduce differences via books Offer children experiences with real people

Teacher Learning Identify own attitudes about prejudice Acquire knowledge of cultures Understand systemic/institutional issues related to equity Implement a fair and equitible pedagogy for students

Students Deserve a fair, safe environment Deserve high expectations and standards Equitable resources and opportunities