Seventeenth century Jesuit analysis of Indian attitudes toward dreams was largely negative. While Indians looked on their dreams as ordinances and oracles, the Jesuits criticized reliance on such irrational messages. Jesuit critiques fell into three categories: the dream as a sign of diabolical possession, the dream as illusion purporting to be…

Outlines the positive and negative aspects of ethnocentrism, discusses its role in the educational setting, and suggests ways that ethnocentrism can be reduced. (IRT)

Critiques the ideology of New Pluralism. Maintains that its underlying premise is merely disguised ethnocentrism, which an understanding of science, history, the individual and the educational process should deter. Proposes that education should provide students with a scientific perspective with which to evaluate themselves, other ideologies, and…

Examination of the social science knowledge base relative to Afro-Americans indicates that the social sciences traditionally have attempted to understand the life experiences of socially diverse groups through a narrow cultro/ethnocentric perspective and against an equally narrow standard. (Author/GC)

This article draws on a two-year study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of South Asian parents and their children's views on the school experience (Parents, Children and the School Experience: Asian Families' Perspectives--Grant Reference: R000239671). The article focuses on an aspect of the young people's school…

This study examines the effects of the Japan BRIDGE Project, a global education program, on its third grade participants. Characterization of lessons and analysis of student interviews were used to investigate the nature of the curriculum and whether or not student participants were more culturally sensitive due to participation. Results indicate…

This teacher's guide will help secondary teachers teach about Japan using the best selling novel or television mini-series "Shogun." In preparing the guide, it was not possible to preview the television program before going to press. Therefore the lessons are keyed to the novel. The pages referred to in the lessons are in the paperback…

Examines the possible effects of cultural and epistemological factors, such as mythicomagical and empiricoscientific thought, on conservation task performance. (BD)

True citizenship education is impossible unless students develop the habit of intelligently evaluating cultures. Abraham Maslow's theory of self-actualization, a theory of innate human needs and of human motivation, is a nonethnocentric tool which can be used by teachers and students to help them understand other cultures. (SR)

A comparison of White and Chinese American therapists showed that both groups agreed in their conceptions of normalcy; White therapists were more accurate in predicting self-descriptive responses of White clients than Chinese clients; and they differed significantly when rating the degree of disturbance of the same client. (Author/MK)

Discusses the productiveness of international comparison of student achievement and of international measures of educational achievement. (Author/IRT)

Author supplied the results of some cross-national research on the influence of culture on literacy learning. (Editor/RK)

Presents a teacher-developed handout intended to serve as a vehicle for discussion and the primary means of teaching the concept of ethnocentrism. The handout describes a fictitious foreign culture. (Author/AV)

The work of a number of American literary critics on the novels of contemporary Spanish women are reviewed. It is argued that the criticism generally suffers from ethnocentrism and lacks insight into the reality of the lives of Spanish women. The works of Matute, Martin, Gaite, and Quiroga, among others, are discussed. (EF)

Discusses the problem of ethnocentrism in the educational system of the United States. Suggests that knowledge needs to be redefined to reflect a multicultural view of the world rather than reflecting an "us against them" outlook. Argues that the humanities need to be decentered so that minority students are not alienated. (DK)