Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education (5th Edition)
By:
Sonia Nieto Patricia Bode
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Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Description:
In this revision of her best-selling book, author Sonia Nieto explores the meaning, necessity, and benefits of multicultural education for students of all backgrounds.
The book looks at how personal, social, political, cultural, and educational factors affect the success or failure of students in today's classroom. Expanding upon the popular case-study approach, the fifth edition examines the lives of 19 real students who are affected by multicultural education, or a lack of it. Social justice is firmly embedded in this view of multicultural education, and teachers are encouraged to work for social change in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Inservice and preservice teachers, principals, school administrators and anyone interested in multicultural education.
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
This is one that will make you think. - Nieto did a fantastic job handling this subject and I love how challenged I am by it! It really causes you to think very deeply about multicultural education and the sociopolitical factors that come into play.
The case studies are the best part of this text, though. I love the fact that there are follow-ups in the back of the book for several of the kids!
Even if you think you know all there is to know about multicultural education, you will be surprised by how much you learn from this very well-written book.
Customer Review: 3 out of 5
Sociopolitical? - I found this book to primarily address the issues of eastern seaboard minority students rather than the issues faced in the southwestern US. Here in AZ there is a very strong prejudice against Immigrant students of Spanish speaking origin. Did you realize that in most workplaces in AZ we are not allowed to speak in a language other than English to a co-worker? Some paranoid person, usually a transplanted Anglo from out of state thinks we are talking about them. Ms Nieto needs to make her text more of a national treasure by not just focusing on those in the Midwest and Eastern seaboard nothern states. This book is due for an update!
Customer Review: 2 out of 5
Ineffective Approach and Little Practical Advice - I found this book of little use. The major problems created by using race as the main focus of the book include:
* Race as a subject is so overworked that nearly everyone over eight years of age has come to conclusions about race, the most important and most common of which is "I am not racist." However, given how the human brain works (selective attention, generalization, and others) and how humans interact (tribal affiliation, application of generalizations based on visual input, and so on), prejudice and therefore racism are inevitable: We are all racist whether we think so or not.
* Again, because the issue of race is overworked, the reaction of many people when race is introduced as a subject is, "Not again!" This could be overcome by a unique or fresh approach. Outside of Chapter 7, "Toward an Understanding of School Achievement", nothing new or fresh is provided.
On the positive side, the case studies are well written and well selected. In a different literary context, these case studies could be of immense value. Also, Chapter 7 has value to offer.
Yes, I realize that racial discrimination issues are critical, especially given the level of racial discriminiation that exists in the human family. However, focusing on such discrimination as the root issue has stalled civil rights. It has accomplished pretty much all it is going to accomplish. It is time to recognize that predudice is part of the human condition.
I invite Ms. Nieto or others to write a text based on the biological and sociological roots of prejudice aimed at helping the reader and, in the context of college classes, the student realize their own propensity for prejudice, recognize how it might show up, and correct the issues of their own prejudice as they emerge.
Customer Review: 2 out of 5
Sociopolitical Marxism - Well now, I know where some of the true Marxist are hiding. In this book, Nieto is trying to create equity policies in schools using taxpayer dollars. If she had her way, she would get rid of capitalism, social classes, and distribution of wealth. Of course, we have already seen how that works in the former Soviet Union (it doesn't work at all). Yes, in a democratic-republic (Nieto always forgets the republic part) there is a dominant culture. Kind of why we call this a nation state, we have national culture. Unfortunately, Nieto is too busy saying the dominant culture is based on White European ideals. In fact, the ideals are based on Judaism, which is not European at all.
There are some aspects of diverse cultures that keep people down trodden in our society, and it is NOT restricted to the dominant cultures. But Nieto makes it sound as though it only happens to dominant cultures.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Affiriming Diversity - I received the book in ample amount of time!! Thanks!!
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