Criticizes accounts of Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration in 12 high school textbooks of U.S. history, citing their Eurocentrism, presentation of textbook history as absolute truth, lack of unpleasant details, and presentation of Columbus's voyage as origin myth. Lists 14 possible earlier expeditions to America. (SV)

Reviews how the popular stereotypes of American Indians have changed since the colonization of North America. Once seen as noble savages by European settlers, the popular stereotypes changed to become less and less positive as colonization advanced. Urges teachers to vigorously challenge the stereotypes and negative images. (JDH)

Reviews the life of Columbus and European conditions that led to the age of exploration. Discusses how the ethnocentric legend of the "discovery" of America grew as part of the glorious history of Western civilization. Examines the doctrine of discovery as a European agreement legitimizing exploitation of indigenous peoples. (SV)

Presents a policy statement from the National Council for the Social Studies for the quincentenary of Columbus's first new world voyage. Recommends that teachers help students comprehend the contemporary relevance of 1492 and provide basic, accurate knowledge about Columbus's voyages, their historical setting, and unfolding effects. Suggests areas…

Many universities promote cultural awareness by directly teaching sensitivity toward cultural diversity. Because students tend to be somewhat ethnocentric, which is not consonant with the display of culturally tolerant attitudes, multicultural education can help them acquire more tolerant attitudes. The paper describes the influence of a course in…

Asserts that most representations of non-Western cultures are inherently tainted with Eurocentric and colonialist precepts. Argues for, and describes, a variety of strategies to deconstruct these perceptions. Maintains that issues of ethnicity, inclusion, and difference are more complex than normally thought. (MJP)

Reviews plans in Spain and the Americas for observances of the 1992 Columbus Quincentenary. Reflects on Indian responses to these observances and resistance to the notion of America's "discovery." Includes testimonies from Indian voices: N. Scott Momaday, Suzan Shown Harjo, Beverly Singer, Ladonna Harris, Rayna Green, and Tim Coulter.…

During the past 10 years, a Japanese instructor at an American university has learned to use her cultural background to her advantage. As a graduate student at Bowling Green State University (Ohio), she first perceived her background as an obstacle to her teaching and tried to pretend that she was not different from other faculty. But this mindset…

Analyzes the difficulty of depicting a round world on a flat surface by identifying distortions in the traditional Mercator Projection. Questions whether its Eurocentric bias culturally conditions students. Presents other world maps that attempt to resolve more fairly the shape/area problem, including some drawn with computers. Encourages teachers…

This essay provides an historical perspective on conflict and discusses the relationship of prejudice and ethnocentrism to intergroup conflict, prejudice and conflict resolution in childhood, as well as approaches to conflict resolution in society. History is full of hateful and destructive indulgences based on religious, racial, and other…

Recent advertising research has suggested that to gain initial entry into and retain continual success with a targeted audience of consumers, it is wise to mirror the attitudes and desires of those consumers. This has proven effective in the United States, where companies such as Chevrolet, Levi Strauss, and Coca-Cola have successfully catered to…

Maintains that negative stereotypes of Arabs permeate U.S. popular culture. Discusses Arab stereotypes among educators and the effects of stereotyping on Arab American students. Describes efforts used in the Dearborn, MI, schools to eliminate stereotypes and integrate into the curriculum the study of Arab culture. (CFR)