TEACHING FOR DIVERSITY IN CANADIAN SCHOOLS EDUC 526 Education and Diversity Dr. Karen Ragoonaden

2 13 Grounds of Prohibited Discrimination (actual or perceived)  Age  Ancestry  Colour  Family status  Marital status  Physical or mental disability  Place of origin  Political belief  Race  Religion  Sex*  Sexual orientation  Criminal or summary conviction unrelated to employment * includes sexual harassment, pregnancy, breastfeeding, gender identity and expression

3 Definitions Discrimination is the denial of opportunity to a person or a group because of their perceived or actual membership in a particular group, as identified and prohibited by the BC Human Rights Code. Discrimination excludes, hurts or isolates people for reasons unrelated to their academic or employment performance or to other forms of competence. Harassment, a type of discrimination, is unfair and unjustified comments or actions that humiliate, intimidate, exclude, bully, isolate, or undermine the self esteem of its victims. The harassment could occur as a single, serious incident, or as a pattern of inappropriate behaviour.

4 Discrimination and Harassment Key Points  Abuse of power  Discriminatory  Unwelcome comments  Negative job or study consequences  Impact, not intent is most important  Verbal protest is not necessary  Repetition is not necessary

5 Scenarios  In thinking about the previous scenarios, consider how you would respond in your role as an educator?  Have you witnessed or experience one of these 13 grounds of prohibited discrimination ?  What strategies did you use to diffuse a situation in which prohibited discrimination is present ?

Examples  Hearing students make a lewd/suggestive comments about a classmate  In a meeting with colleagues, hear disabled students being referred to in an inappropriate manner  During break/recess, hear students make a racially offensive remark to a minority student  Hear a colleague make fun of another’s sexual orientation

Racism exists because we don’t find it offensive....  You are sitting in a waiting room when someone makes a racist comment about a black man who just left. How would you respond ?  Most people say that they would feel upset & take action. However, researchers at York University & UBC found that many would react with indifference.  This may explain why racism exists in our politically correct age. (Kawakami, 2009)

Chapter 1Education & Diversity: Framing the issues  Understanding diversity  Biological and Social factors influencing Identity and Diversity  The Individual and Cultural Identity  Race and Diversity

 Hegemony and Diversity  The Hidden Curriculum  Prejudice, Stereotypes and Xenophobia  The “Color-Blindness” Syndrome

Schools, Social Positioning, and Privilege: Theoretical Views  Consensus Perspectives  Interrogative Perspectives (Conflict Theories, Schools and Economic Reproduction, Schools and Cultural Reproduction)  Critical Theory  Post-modern Perspectives

Diversity and Social Justice  Diversity and Academic Achievement  Genetic and Cultural Deficit Theories  Cultural Difference and Academic Achievement  Language Differences and Academic Achievement  Accent-based Discrimination  Diversity and Preferred Learning Styles  Gender-Based Differences

Conclusion  Establish a foundation & theoretical base for analyzing & understanding education & diversity  Examine schools as a social and political institution  Relationship between diversity & academic achievement