Asking hard questions is just that--hard. But if we are truly committed to teaching for social justice, we need to encourage our children to find as many points of view as they can, and to ask questions we may never be able to answer, knowing that education for citizenship lies in the process of thinking critically about the many sides of a…

Stubborn societal prejudices persist that inhibit this enlargement of gender roles for boys and men. Portrayals of men in popular culture tend to be brutish, ignorant, and violent--often in sexual and predatory ways. Boys in school are subjected to homophobia, racism, classism, and shame, as a means of policing their burgeoning identities and…

The isolation experienced by LGBTQ youth, who are closeted in all or parts of their lives, leads to a higher rate of alcohol and drug use, smoking, mental health issues, and suicide. National studies in the United States and Canada show that LGBTQ youth are three to six times more likely to commit suicide than their straight counterparts and that…

Stereotypes about teenagers typically result in negative views of young people and contribute to the age-old idea that every new generation of teenagers is somehow inferior to previous ones. One of the reasons for the prevalence of inaccurate stereotypes about teenagers in Canada is that people have not been having very many national conversations…

In the contemporary world, racism is a pervasive and destructive social force both in Canada and internationally, and it is on the rise since 9/11. Although a lot of people know what racism is, many do not understand it in the same way. In this article, the author discusses a number of related concepts of racism which, in abstract social…

Canada prides itself on being an inclusive country. Immigrants from all over the world arrive in Canada's cities with their families because they feel welcome and safe. According to research, engagement towards social inclusion increased among Canadians during the last 30 last years. These changing values resulted in the creation of official…

In this article, the author uses a personal story to challenge the definition of success--introducing Ann, who comes in last in a swimming competition, but wins after all. He has drawn on his years as a swim coach to generate a series of stories exploring the emotional side of learning and the role of compassion in teaching that too often lie…

This article discusses the Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust (CCLET). For many years, the CCLET has been in the business of working with teachers, teacher-candidates, students in grade two through university, and even with those in law schools, to engage them in making choices about controversial issues. CCLET proposes a structural approach…

The author suggests that the failure of traditional prevention programs may be one of the reasons for the rising consumption rate of alcohol in Canada. He makes several suggestions for improving alcohol education programs. (SJL)

Presents perspective on educational integration of disabled, emphasizing how Canadians, as a society, develop and maintain personal and public attitudes, values, and beliefs about their society. Discusses use of ethnographic case studies of classrooms, schools, and communities to understand dynamics of educational integration, attitudes toward…

The public looks to schools to address prejudice and discrimination. Several models of and approaches to multicultural education are described. Racism is not eradicated by preaching tolerance or by providing information that contradicts stereotypes. Racism is best overcome through a political education that explains the social and political…