Shows how looking at Shakespeare's prejudices and their roots, as seen in "The Merchant of Venice," can teach students not only about historical attitudes but also about their own unacknowledged assumptions and stereotypes. (MM)

Describes negative images of Metis and Aboriginal women during the late 1800s in western Canada amid White settlement of Metis land. Discusses the perceived immorality of Indian women; marriages between Indian women and Northwest Mounted Police; physical abuse, sexual abuse, and murder of Native women; and a pass system implemented to bar…

In the early 1900s, a central theme in many books and scholarly works about Mexico and Mexicans was the transnational "Mexican problem"--the innate political and cultural backwardness that prevented Mexico's development and modernization. These works greatly influenced both U.S. policy toward Mexico and educational policies aimed at…

This study explored hetero- and auto-stereotyping in 23 Pakistani students studying in the United States; 21 French and 20 American college students enrolled at the University of Besancon, France; and 59 American college students who had never lived or studied abroad. All subjects completed a four-page questionnaire in their native language in…

Gross stereotypes, subtle distortions, and omissions in references to ethnic groups in children's literature play a direct part in forming children's attitudes at an early age. One of the requirements for elementary education teacher certification at Penn State University is a course in children's literature with an emphasis on guiding students…

A survey was made of all children's books about Chinese, Chinese Americans, or China for pre-kindergarten through third-grade reading level to determine how the books represent the Chinese or Chinese American to the young child. Books included in the study were identified by one or more of the following factors: (1) book title and bibliographic…

Concludes that the American Indian is misrepresented, distorted, romanticized and victimized in children's literature. (JH)

Early images of African Americans in films determined a pattern that survived until World War II. The role of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in creating new images of African Americans after the war films is profiled. Although changes seem modest, they reflect some social movements. (SLD)

"Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children" presents essays, stories, and poetry reflecting modern Indian life from a Native American perspective, and includes 84 reviews of children's books about Native Americans and guidelines for choosing literature that accurately portrays Native Americans. (LP)

A pathological image of the African American has infiltrated U.S. education. With desegregation and the arrival of African American children in white America's schools has come the application of psychological and educational labels that create and constrain the educational experiences of the African American child. These labels have not evolved…

Some communities have been successful in removing textbooks containing sexist and racist stereotypes.

This colloquy, part of the Council of Cultural Cooperation's project on migrants, examines the West German media's portrayal of foreigners residing in that country. Participants include media representatives from Europe and Canada. Discussion covers the portrayal of the foreigner in the press and on TV, the use of the media by foreigners,…

Created to try to shock people into realizing that a child's world is supersaturated with hundreds of images of savage, noble, lazy, or nonhuman Indians that obscure, misrepresent, and render trivial the rich cultures and histories of Native Americans, the reader is intended for early childhood, elementary, and secondary educators and general…

Research indicates that dialect is used in children's books to suggest the geographic background, social class, educational level, and intelligence of literary characters. Several studies show, however, that young readers develop negative attitudes about characters who speak nonstandard dialects and that these attitudes are intensified if the…

Effects of skin color on male-female self-concepts were measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. No significant differences were found between the study and the norm groups. The self-image of today's Chicano tends to refute negative stereotyping. (Author)