A look at: Sonia Nieto, “Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical context of Multicultural Education.”
I walked into this class with an unintentional haughty, arrogant attitude that I am not prejudice in any way. It was not an attitude that I consciously knew I had, but one that I am becoming more and more aware of as the class progresses. Reading through the books that have been assigned in this course has led me to rethink that notion and see that I was wrong. While I do not have any adverse feelings towards anyone from any other culture, race, economic background, etc., I have, however, been stuck, so to speak, in my own little rut of indifference, which as we are reading may be just as bad as the aforementioned. I have not seen the vast differences between cultures and how they may be affected by the current education curricular because my eyes have not been opened to it, or rather I have not opened them. I have been perfectly content to assume the education curricular in place is a good one. I think that is because I am White American, and can relate easily to what is being taught. Books written by Dunbar, Kozol, and now Nieto, have shown me that there are vast differences in the educational environment that are not being addressed for so many other cultures, races, etc., and it just leaves me aghast that people are not reaching out to do more than they are doing now to help alleviate this problem. I think many people may have the same attitude I did, and many, such as myself, not even knowingly so. Indifference to, and lack of acknowledgement from people that there are needs of inequity/inequality that must be met, as far as diversity goes, assuredly allows for social and educational injustices to continue within our school systems. Something must be done, more so than it is now, to correct these injustices and create a learning environment where all is truly equitable. I say equitable because I think in being so, it will then create a foundation towards becoming more equal.
Nieto reaffirms these new thoughts for me in her key themes and major arguments of the importance of multicultural education, the importance that our roles as teachers/administrators have in teaching diversity and the social responsibility we must have in the schools as educators. She gives us a sense of responsibility in her writing by not only pointing out the differences within the school systems, as far as equity and equality go, but by doing so through the voice of the children. This has a very powerful affect that helps us see beyond the horizon of what we may want to see (or not see) from the outside looking in.
The first key theme I want to address, the importance of multicultural education, is offered to us from a slightly different viewpoint than the other books we have read, have been. Nieto embraces diversity as a whole in a way that leaves those of us not hurting for a particular group of students, but hurting for the student body as a whole, in so far as thinking of what is missing from the current curricular that is in place. She shows how a multicultural education is important to the student body and the society as a whole and proves with her writing, at least in my opinion, how schools can be the facilitators that help create a more accepting and embracing viewpoint towards such teaching. The examples given throughout the book on how multicultural teaching is missing in our educational system are plentiful and the student opinions peppered throughout the book reiterate that her thoughts are right on cue. The current system is one that teaches from the antiquated viewpoint of the White Man, and while different cultures, races, histories, social stances, etc., may be taught in outside courses (i.e. electives, special courses/activities) they are not, as is well dictated throughout this text, being taught as a collective whole; they are not being integrated as the norm of teaching, but rather the exception.
This realization comes with a high price. It forces us to reevaluate not only our teaching curriculum, which is of high importance, but also to reevaluate ourselves and the part we are playing in allowing such a biased form of teaching to continue. It creates a need for seeking out and implementing change so that students are given a culturally sensitive, all-encompassing foundation to learn from. It also sets into motion the need to evaluate the teachers/administrators themselves, to see where they stand and if their attitudes towards teaching are conducive to change, which leads me to discuss the second key theme I found in the text, which leads me to a second key point of the book: the importance that our roles as teachers/administrators have in teaching diversity. Educators, as we can easily see from Nieto’s teaching, have a grand place in that they do affect students and their attitudes. What needs to be remembered, and what is pointed out liberally throughout this book, is that the negative effects of what we teach or maybe more aptly stated, what we do not teach, we must be held accountable for too. The society we live in is changing dramatically from one that accepted the viewpoint of the white man as the norm, to one that is comprised of people who want to embrace and love their own cultures and still fit into the American society as a whole. As educators/administrators, we need to address these issues and provide competent, well-thought out lesson plans in our classrooms that will enhance the learning experience of all students in a way that they can relate to and better understand.
There were some alarming disparities mentioned yet again in this book, regarding the stances that teachers take towards their students as the school year progresses. Such things were noted as preferential treatment and more attention being given to �fast learners’ vs. �slow learners’ and more attention given to boys vs. girls as being the standard, and children of a different race other than white, or speak a language other than English, being slighted in various ways for simply those reasons. While I am certain these attitudes are not intentional on the parts of the educators, at least I hope not, they are nonetheless existent. These are just a few examples of many that Nieto points out in her views on what is lacking in our educational system, but her views are reiterated by many of her interviewees who are currently (or were at the time the book was written) experiencing the educational system of the United States. I think these cases undoubtedly point out a need we have to educate the educators. Perhaps classes could be given on affirming diversity to the teachers themselves so that they can see and learn from the mistakes they could be inadvertently making in their efforts to teach. I realize that is a small step, but it is a step, nonetheless and something must be done. Children deserve to be given an equal opportunity to succeed and inadvertent, unknown biases in the ways the teachers are conducting their classes are not pertinent towards achieving that goal.
The third key point I got from this book was the role teachers/educators have in promoting social responsibility to our students. It is not only our role to educate, but also to facilitate proper channels where students can properly assimilate themselves into a democratic society. It is our role to provide an atmosphere and a teaching curriculum that will allow students to accept and embrace the differences among each other, be they ethnic, cultural, sexual preference, or religious (yes, I realize that is a touchy one). Nieto points out that not talking about such differences does not help in creating the social responsibility our students need to develop to become positive members of our society. She pointed out, and rightly so, that issues such as race or sexual preference are not discussed in an open manner in school, in fact they are for the most part, ignored. She detailed the reasons this is not appropriate, and I feel her thoughts were right on target. Issues do need to be addressed, discussed, and pondered for an adequate learning process to take place. Ignoring the issues and needs of the students to discuss them and learn from them does nothing but exacerbate the problem(s) that arise from not understanding them, such as prejudice, non-acceptance, and in intolerability. Familiarity of the topics and the importance of them being taught in the school system could do wonders for a child’s self-esteem and acceptance levels from their peers even though they may be deemed as somewhat different from one another. I believe, as Nieto writes she does, that it is our responsibility as educators to facilitate these teachings into our everyday curriculum, that it is our duty to address and discuss these issues with our students so that they can better be able to relate to and accept one another, both now in their school years, and later in their everyday lives.
I think the strengths Nieto offers from her words in this particular book are that the issues she presents are done from a historical point of view, but also from a �right now’ point of view as well. She gives us past, current, and theoretical accounts of what is going on within the educational system and she offers us real ways to note and change what we need to, to make the learning experience of higher quality for our students. I think another strength is given in her snapshots and case studies because it gives not only the opinion of an educator, which could be misconstrued as biased, but also the opinions from those who are on the receiving end of the education. A huge plus, in my eyes, is that the interviews given were given to students who are academically successful. While I think interviews with the opposite spectrum of students, such as in the Kozol and Dunbar readings are excellent tools in getting us to open our eyes, so to speak, I think that having the interviews with the students who are succeeding is important as well in articulating her arguments for the need for change. This is especially true when we see that the students who are successful in their academic achievement are saying many of the same things that the students in books such as Kozol and Dunbar’s are saying as well. It leaves no room for doubt that changes need to be made and inadequacies accounted for and alleviated.
As far as weaknesses go, I think the text was a little redundant in getting the key points and arguments across, although I realize redundancy sometimes drives home familiarity and creates the desire for positive action to be taken. I prefer the style of Kozol or Dunbar where the issues were addressed, the need to do something was remarkably piqued, and the case studies were more isolated, but I absolutely appreciate that there are other styles to appeal to, and think Nieto may just hit the mark in repeating herself to get her points, the same points we are learning in this course, that diversity must be addressed and presented more fully in the student curricular for so many reasons, across to her readers.
All in all, at the conclusion of this book, and the others I have read in this class, I am coming to the realization that reformation must take place in our school systems, and that every educator can and must take their place in striving to make a difference. Nieto drives home the point for me that the ignorance of, or the indifference to or ignoring of multicultural and/or sociopolitical issues that abide in the school system is just as detrimental to creating and implementing necessary changes, as blatant disregard for them is. She drives home the point that our students are suffering as a result of the missing multicultural curricular and as such our society as a whole will continue to feel the repercussions as time goes on. She shows us that change can and should take place and gives a multitude of plausible reasons why, and for that, I am very grateful.
