The Politics of Racial Identity: A Pedagogy of Invisibility

Spina, Stephanie Urso; Tai, Robert H.; Fordham, Signithia; Lee, Stacey J.; Darder, Antònia; Torres, Rodolfo D.; Gutierrez, Henry

doi:10.2307/1176926

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(2 reference statements)

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“…The influence of adults, together with their beliefs and professional knowledge, in this process is evident in a Canadian study which found that pre-service teachers favoured children's texts which presented societal perspectives and themes that were familiar to them and reflected their own spatio-temporal backgrounds (Johnston et al 2007). Researchers in the US and Australia have also found that the lack of diverse perspectives in the literature texts available was due to the educators involved in their selection and use not seeing 'white' as a race (Buchori and Dobinson 2015;Spina and Tai 1998;) or as a "focus for critique and analysis" (Spina and Tai 1998, p. 37). This, in turn, influences educators' curricular choices contributing to practice that reinforces the dominant culture as preferable and superior.…”

Section: Selection and Use Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“Portray cultures other than ours”: How children’s literature is being used to support the diversity goals of the Australian Early Years Learning Framework

2019

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Catering for diversity within birth to 5-year-old settings continues to be an on-going concern for policy makers and educators worldwide. This research contributes to discussion on the value of children’s literature in achieving international principles of diversity and, in particular, the Principles, Practice and Outcomes outlined in the Australian Early Years Learning Framework. The article considers the selection and use of children’s literature related to diversity, as well as what influences these processes. Seventeen educators from five long day care centres located in or near the Perth metropolitan area participated in the study. Data were drawn from interviews and a book audit. The findings revealed educators had limited understandings of the role of literature in acknowledging and valuing diversity and rarely used it to promote the diversity-related outcomes of the EYLF. The key challenges which emerged from the findings concerned beliefs of educators, professional learning and the application of the EYLF in practice.

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Section: Selection and Use Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“Portray cultures other than ours”: How children’s literature is being used to support the diversity goals of the Australian Early Years Learning Framework

2019

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“…The potential impact on all children is of concern. For children to develop a strong sense of identity and an understanding and respect for others, it is important for them to see their own culture and those of others represented in authentic and contemporary ways and in multiple books [1,13,17,59]. The findings of this study indicate that such practice is currently absent or severely limited.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…The findings of this study indicate that such practice is currently absent or severely limited. Further, evidence suggests that children from dominant cultures can develop an inflated sense of importance when the consistent promotion of monocultural viewpoints leads to a sense of 'White' being normal and of greater value [1,35,59]. Such attitudes can, in turn, contribute to prejudice and discrimination.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When Authenticity Goes Missing: How Monocultural Children’s Literature Is Silencing the Voices and Contributing to Invisibility of Children from Minority Backgrounds

Adam

2021

Education Sciences

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The importance of recognising, valuing and respecting a child’s family, culture, language and values is central to socially just education and is increasingly articulated in educational policy worldwide. Inclusive children’s literature can support children’s human rights and contribute to equitable and socially just outcomes for all children. However, evidence suggests many educational settings provide monocultural book collections which are counterproductive to principles of diversity and social justice. Further, that educators’ understandings and beliefs about diversity can contribute to inequitable provision and use of diverse books and to inequitable outcomes of book sharing for many children. This paper reports on a larger study investigating factors and relationships influencing the use of children’s literature to support principles of cultural diversity in the kindergarten rooms of long day care centres. The study was conducted within an ontological perspective of constructivism and an epistemological perspective of interpretivism informed by sociocultural theory. A mixed methods approach was adopted, and convergent design was employed interpret significant relationships and their meanings. Twenty-four educators and 110 children from four long day care centres in Western Australia participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, video-based observations, field notes, document analysis and a book audit. This study firstly identified that current book collections in kindergarten rooms of long day care centres promote mono-cultural viewpoints and ‘othering’ of minority groups through limited access to books portraying inclusive and authentic cultural diversity. Secondly, that educators had limited understandings of the role of literature in acknowledging and valuing diversity and rarely used it to promote principles of diversity, resulting in a practice of “othering” those from minority group backgrounds. The key challenges which emerged from the study concerned beliefs, understanding and confidence of educators about diversity and inclusion, and the impact of these on their approaches to promoting principles of diversity through the use of children’s books. This research contributes to discussion on the value of children’s literature in achieving international principles of diversity. These findings have important social justice implications. The outcomes of this study have implications for educators, policy makers, early childhood organisations and those providing higher education and training for early childhood educators.

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“…That is, "I don't see color" all too frequently might be a way to subjugate those who do. Willis (2001) cites Spina and Tai's (1998) argument that "Not seeing race is predicated on not seeing White as race and in denying Whiteness as a focus of critique and analysis" (emphasis added, p. 37).…”

Section: Both Alice Mcintyre's Making Meaning Of Whiteness and Lisa Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finding the Horizon: Education Administration Students Paint a Landscape of Cultural Diversity in Schools

Ridenour¹

2004

Journal of School Leadership

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A landscape painting metaphor was used to report the implications of this study of 33 graduate students preparing to become elementary and secondary school administrators who kept personal journals during their enrollment in an Issues of Diversity class at a private Midwestern university. The journals forced their cultural lens to be transparent, freeing them to locate the horizon line, a reference point for their own experience, beliefs, and values. The students, a 3:1 ratio of white to African American students and 56% female, revealed feelings of confusion, ambivalence, fear, and uncertainty about race and gender in their personal and professional lives. They described new understandings about cultural differences and showed evidence of moving into new behaviors. The power of journaling for those preparing to be school leaders was another dominant theme from the analysis.

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The Politics of Racial Identity: A Pedagogy of Invisibility

Cited by 4 publications

References 2 publications

“Portray cultures other than ours”: How children’s literature is being used to support the diversity goals of the Australian Early Years Learning Framework

“Portray cultures other than ours”: How children’s literature is being used to support the diversity goals of the Australian Early Years Learning Framework

When Authenticity Goes Missing: How Monocultural Children’s Literature Is Silencing the Voices and Contributing to Invisibility of Children from Minority Backgrounds

Finding the Horizon: Education Administration Students Paint a Landscape of Cultural Diversity in Schools

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