Chapter 5 Sociocultural Diversity Oleh : Rina Lestari S

I. Culture and Ethnicity a. Culture b. Socioeconomic Status c. Ethnicity d. Bilingualism

a. Culture The behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a particular group of people that are passed on from generation to generation. The group’s culture influences the behavior of its members (Matsumo & Juang, 2008) Cross-cultural studies : studies that compare what happens in one culture with what happens in one or more other cultures

Classification of Cultures : Individualistic : give priority to personal goals e.g. Western culture (personal autonomy, intrinsic motivation, self esteem, self-maximization) Collectivistic : having a set of values that support the group. e.g. Eastern culture (connectedness to the family, orientation to the larger group, respect and obedience).

b. Socioeconomic Status (SES) SES is a grouping of people with similar occupational, educational, and economic characteristics. SES mostly emphasizes the distinction between individuals with low and middle socioeconomic status. Low SES individuals usually have less education, less power to influence schools and other community institutions.

Problems : Children in poverty face problems at home & at school that present barriers to their learning. Schools in low-income neighborhoods often have fewer resources and less- experienced teachers, and they are more likely to encourage rote their learning rather than thinking skills.

c. Ethnicity A shared patterns of characteristics such as cultural heritage, nationality race, religion, and language. Educational segregation (separation) is still a reality for children of color in the US. (how about in Indonesia?) The negative schooling experiences of many ethnicity minority children may involved prejudice, discrimination, and bias. (according to Kozol : The Shame of the Nation).

d. Bilingualism The ability to speak two languages – has a positive effect on children’s cognitive development. Learning a second language successfully greater in childhood than in adolescence. ESL (English as a Second Language) : for students whose native language is not English  widely used

II. Multicultural Education a. Empowering Students b. Culturally Relevant Teaching c. Issues-Centered Education d. Improving Relationships Among Children From Different Ethnic Groups

“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, of gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures”. (President John F. Kennedy, 1963)

Multicultural Education : education that values diversity and includes the perspectives of a variety of cultural groups on a regular basis. The goal : equal educational opportunity for all students. Characteristics : - the school staff’s attitudes, beliefs, and actions - the curriculum - instructional materials - the school culture & the hidden curriculum - the counseling program

a. Empowering Students Empowerment : to providing people with the intellectual and coping skills to succeed and make this a more just world. Schools should give students the opportunity to learn about the experiences, struggles, and visions of many different ethnic and cultural groups (Banks, 2008). Schools : antiracist, antidiscriminatory, for all students, students should be more conscious of culture.

b. Culturally Relevant Teaching This is an important aspect : it seeks to make connections with the learner’s cultural background (Pang, 2005). According to multicultural experts : effective teachers are aware of and integrate culturally relevant teaching into the curriculum because it makes teaching more effective (Manning & Baruth, 2009).

c. Issues-Centered Education This is also an important aspect : students are taught to systematically examine issues that involve equity and social justice.

d. Improving Relations Among Children from Different Ethnic Groups Among the strategies/related ideas for improving relationship between children from different ethnic groups are these : * the jigsaw classroom (having students from different cultural backgrounds cooperate by doing different parts of a project to reach a common goal. * positive personal contact * perspective taking

* critical thinking and emotional intelligence * reduced bias * increased tolerance * development of the school and community as a team

III. Gender a. Exploring Gender Views b. Gender Stereotyping, Similarities, and Differences c. Gender-Role Classification d. Gender in Context e. Eliminating Gender Bias

a. Exploring Gender Views Gender refers to the characteristics of people as males and females. A gender role is a set of expectations that prescribe how females and males should act, think, and feel. Gender-typing is the process by which children acquire the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are considered appropriate for their gender in a particular culture.

b. Gender Stereotyping, Similarities, and Differences Gender stereotypes are broad categories that reflect impressions and beliefs about what behavior is appropriate for females and males. All stereotypes involve an image of what the typical member of a category is like. Stereotyping students as ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ can reduce his or her social status and acceptance in groups.

Gender Similarities and Differences in Academically Relevant Domains The brain Physical Performance Math and Science Skills Verbal skills Educational Attainment Prosocial behavior Aggression Emotions and Its Regulation

c. Gender – Role Classification It focuses on how masculine, feminine, or androgynous an individual is. In the past : male supposed to be masculine, female supposed to be feminine. In 1970s : androgyny concept  the presence of positive masculine and feminine characteristics in the same- individual.

d. Gender in Context Evaluation of gender-role categories and gender and differences in areas such as helping behavior and emotion suggest that the best way to think about gender is not in terms of personality traits but instead in terms of person situation interaction.

e. Eliminating Gender Bias There is gender bias in school against boys and girls. Many schools do not realize. School have made considerable progress in reducing sexism and sex stereotyping in books and curriculum materials, but some bias still exists. Sexual harassment : special concern & more persuasive.

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