This article presents a conversation with James Loewen. Loewen is an author, historian, and professor. In a recent conversation with the author, he shared his views on how American Indian topics and events are traditionally taught and offered his insights into what teachers can do to accommodate multiple perspectives in their examination of…

Public schools can, and should, do a lot to solve the current, controversial ethnocentrism problem. Teachers must receive adequate training and competent in-service help so that they may provide multicultural education and face their own prejudices. Responsibility for students' behavior and education should be shared by the homes and the…

This investigation examines factors influencing United States student perceptions of native and non-native United States teacher effectiveness. A questionnaire employing measures of ethnocentrism, intercultural communication apprehension, willingness to communicate, and motivation was completed by 204 native United States undergraduate students.…

Studying the characteristics of development extension agents can help in the understanding of the dynamics of development. These key personnel exhibit certain traits, not yet corroborated scientifically, as they attempt to induce drastic changes in the values, beliefs, production, and consumption patterns of developing nations in order to move…

This study explores reverse discrimination as a cultural phenomenon that should be studied by anthropologists, and to which anthropology has inadvertently contributed. Discrimination by minority group members is taught and encouraged under the guise of ethnic pride and promotion of traditional beliefs. Ethnocentrism may be a cultural defense…

Two major efforts to redirect the school curriculum that are currently of special concern, not only to educators but to the general citizenry as well, are citizenship education and international or global education. Both deal with the development of competent and responsible citizens whose perspectives, knowledge, and skills will enable them to…

Social problems such as prejudice, discrimination, and societal unfairness are examined from the perspective of their association with language. Research in the psychology of language is reviewed with regard to these issues and with particular reference to the situation in Quebec. The first question addressed is the role that attitudes play both…

After three decades of diverse and intense immigration accompanied by a range of well intentioned initiatives by the Australian government to meet the needs of immigrants, there remain unsolved problems. An Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs evaluation (1982) found major achievements in establishing intensive programs of English…

If the major findings of a study by Dowling and Frantz should prove generalizable, several important questions are raised. These questions, and the potential dangers they suggest, are discussed in terms of counselor education, the power of school administrators and counselors, and counselor ethics and treatment techniques. (Author)

The development of social science terminology about ethnicity in the United States is traced from colonial times to the present, and conflict among ethnic groups is examined in relation to contemporary problems in the suburbs of New York. Early in U.S. history, immigrating ethnic groups were thought to contribute to the melting pot character of…

Certain philosophical understandings and resulting behaviors will produce an environment conducive to participation or conducive to accepting the definitions of reality of the people involved in the research process. This is an important element of participatory research, a process towards gathering new knowledge with the people capable of…

Among the characteristics of training (such as cross-cultural training) that differentiate it from traditional classroom education are its attention to how adults learn, preference for the experiential approach, emphasis on "learning how to learn," and tailoring to meet individual needs. Seven issues are considered to be most important in current…

In the study reported here, 133 subjects (Ss) were selected randomly from one elementary school. Ss were showed photographs of Bushmen performing daily activities and asked to predict whether a Bushman would prefer specific indigenous customs or their American equivalents, and then to justify the prediction. Scores for three types of predictions…

Describes development of a scale for measuring fourth graders' attitudes toward various ethnic or cultural groups. Reviews item analysis, scale discrimination, analysis for unidimensionality, and reliability. Presents the scale in an appendix. (AV)

Effects of desegregation on interethnic attitudes, interethnic contact, and self-esteem of fifth and sixth grade Blacks, Whites and Mexican Americans were investigated. All groups were found to be highly ethnocentric. White and Black students from segregated backgrounds had more negative attitudes toward out-group and in-group members after…