Today's media generally depicts negative or biased images of multicultural or ethnic groups based on certain symbols and semantics. Given these characteristics, it is important to provide an educational experience in which adolescents critically reflect on how the media presents distorted images of ethnic groups, especially migrants. Thus, the…

Throughout history, silences have been an inherent process of historical production -- privileged narratives masquerade as definitive history, and those deemed less worthy are mute (Trouillot, 1995). Because of this, our understanding of many events in the past is incomplete; and the way we frame our contemporary societies based on these events…

This study examines perspectives and practices regarding multiculturalism among 20 secondary social studies teachers in South Korea. Utilizing semi-structured interviews and critical discourse analysis, the study seeks to capture how teachers' understandings of multiculturalism (Damunhwa in Korean) and its practice are influenced by curriculum…

Ongoing educational reforms and the accountability movement in public education can pose significant challenges for teachers as they strive to meet a critical, social-justice vision for the social studies. Teachers' continued professional growth and learning are viewed as the main factors towards achieving this goal; however, quite often the…

The inclusion of religion in public education remains contentious in many countries, including Canada. As multiple religions fill the public sphere, some religious education is necessary if Canadians are to understand each other. Social studies is seen as an appropriate subject to include such education given its foci on diversity and citizenship.…

At the intersection of social studies and world language curricula are opportunities to explore students' prior learning with vocabulary-rich content designed to support language acquisition goals. "Funds of knowledge" is defined as socio-cultural, economic, and historical knowledge from home and community settings. The instructional…

In today's globally connected world, it is essential for students to have an understanding of multiple cultures and perspectives. In this edited collection, Kathy Short, Deanna Day, and Jean Schroeder bring together fourteen educators who use global children's literature to help students explore their own cultural identities. The book lays out why…

This qualitative case study examined South Korean elementary teachers' beliefs about the goals of multicultural education in relation to practices and contexts within social studies instruction. The first research question examined the distinguishing features of South Korean elementary teachers' beliefs about the goals of multicultural education.…

In this article, Julian Vasquez Heilig, Keffrelyn Brown, and Anthony Brown offer findings from a close textual analysis of how the Texas social studies standards address race, racism, and communities of color. Using the lens of critical race theory, the authors uncover the sometimes subtle ways that the standards can appear to adequately address…

Between the turn of the twentieth century and the "Brown v. Board of Education" decision in 1954, the way that American schools taught about "race" changed dramatically. This transformation was engineered by the nation's most prominent anthropologists, including Franz Boas, Ruth Benedict, and Margaret Mead, during World War II.…

Discusses the need to revise New York State's social studies curriculum to reflect the nation's diversity in a fair way, presenting a less biased, more realistic view of history. The curriculum should cultivate multiple perspectives, teach about common traditions, include examples of many peoples, and tell the whole story. (SM)

For nearly 2 years, opponents of California's curriculum reform movement have been protesting a series of K-8 social studies textbooks officially adopted by the state board of education and widely endorsed by teachers, administrators, school boards, and community groups. This article explains that the Houghton Mifflin series is neither racist nor…

Lists some of the citations in the ERIC database dealing with teaching global studies in elementary school. Includes works on approaches to integration of ethnic content into the curriculum, procedures for evaluating multicultural books, and teaching suggestions. Suggests that young students do not narrowly define culture. (DK)

Describes the San Francisco Unified School District's Educational Redesign Plan with respect to social studies and global education. The new curriculum is global in outlook, multicultural in focus, and emphasizes basic competencies. (KC)

Since young children are aware of individual differences at an early age, social studies education should provide an understanding of the differences inherent in various ethnic and cultural groups. Strategies can be developed for both younger students and adolescents which would teach about ethnicity, immigration, and acculturation. (JN)