Uses psychological research to examine affirmative action policy, noting that many studies indicate that affirmative action as a policy has more benefits than costs. Discusses issues of merit, asserting that affirmative action policy conforms to the American ideal of fairness and is a necessary policy. Suggests that affirmative action is superior…

Presents topics for parents to use when discussing cultural diversity with their children (basic needs, cultural attitudes, body language, the arts, and language). Activities for exploring cultural diversity are suggested, and a list of multicultural resources is included. (SM)

Investigates children's nonfiction multicultural tradebooks published in 1986 and 1987, and discusses the general treatment of multicultural concepts in these tradebooks. Although 12 of 35 books that were reviewed depicted new multicultural personalities and topics, much more must be accomplished to help children learn about themselves and…

Investigated the experiences of minority students with their white peers on predominantly white campuses. Focus groups revealed how white students' purported color-blindness regarding race often blinded them to their own color conscious behavior and the subsequent stereotyping effects. Participants' discussions examined stereotyping, assimilation,…

Comedian, actor and philanthropist Bill Cosby made headlines earlier this year, and not for a starring role in a new TV show or because of a multimillion-dollar gift to a college or university, but for his comments surrounding low-income African Americans at an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision,…

Cooper, president of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, dismisses the contention that some children are just not able to learn. His organization, in partnership with school districts, has studied the causes of and potential solutions to the achievement gap and has seen encouraging progress in several school districts where…

This staff development module is part of one of three groups of career guidance modules developed, field-tested, and revised by a six-state consortium coordinated by the American Institutes for Research. This module is designed for guidance personnel who work in counseling and guidance with ethnic minorities in school settings, kindergarten…

A survey of children's television programs in San Francisco showed that the programs do not reflect the needs, problems, and interests of local viewers. One-fourth of the city's population is children. Two thirds of those enrolled in the city's public schools are not Anglo. Despite this, 17 of 27 programs monitored one Saturday morning in 1972…

This sourcebook includes addresses by American Presidents, speeches by Congressmen and Senators, decisions by the U. S. Supreme Court, and articles in prestigious scholarly journals, popular fiction, and mass-circulation magazines, which were sampled over a 100-year period from 1850 to 1950. Each of seven parts discusses such topics as the image…

Explores the relationship between degree of accent in the English of Mexican American speakers as assessed by native raters, and the social judgments of raters toward accented speakers. Results of the study are discussed in relation to Giles and Powesland's (1975) incremental theory of class-related standard. (Author/MES)

Family therapists should maintain an informed perspective that balances a broadly defined cultural sensitivity (including awareness about sociocultural and spiritual issues) with sound clinical judgment based on well-founded family therapy principles. Offers recommendations for graduate school curricula and internship training programs to include…

Describes an ethnic collection development conference held in California that focused on how librarians can meet the needs of the growing numbers of ethnic and racial minorities. Topics discussed include library management; sources of reviews for ethnic titles; selection criteria; acquisitions procedures; cataloging practices; subject heading…

Parents and teachers can help children accept diversity in others by looking at their own beliefs and recognizing subtle stereotypes. Children will be influenced negatively by society if adults do not deliberately intervene to help create positive attitudes toward all people. Five strategies for helping change childrens' misconceptions are…

Examines Chinese-American author M. H. Kingston's book "The Woman Warrior" and the controversy and literary response to it. Discusses the dilemma of the "ethnic" writer and other issues including the use of literary license and social documentation and tensions between historical and experiential authenticity. (JB)

Two films, the fictional "Thunderheart" and the documentary "Incident at Oglala," demonstrate that Hollywood can sometimes portray the ethnic conflicts of Native Americans accurately. Both explain the ambivalent relationship with the dominant society that Native Americans have chosen through their refusal to be patronized. (SLD)