Abstract:

This presentation will provide strategies for integrating in teacher preparation programs cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity to human differences as tools for bridging barriers to tolerance, equality, and social justice in a pluralistic society. Among people who are diverse in race, ethnicity, culture, language, socio-economic levels, religion, physical and emotional challenges, there is a tendency for scapegoating, stereotyping, discrimination and hatred which are detriment to peaceful co-existence. Unfortunately, if education authorities and classroom teachers do not seek effective ways to curb such hideous practices in school, they could become cankerworms of the nation. According to Christine J. Bennett, "If we limit our focus to race or culture, we run the risk of stereotyping. If on the other hand, we ignore students' cultural attributes and rely totally on our own culturally bias lenses, we are likely to limit the chances for successful learning to those who are most like us".

To shed light on intercultural encounters in various educational and societal frameworks and provide vehicles for addressing the outcome of prejudice in a pluralistic society, the presenters will use issues and instruction from a journal of the Southern Poverty on Teaching Tolerance, the democratic principles of understanding, respecting and accommodating diverse cultures and languages and celebrating shared commonalities; as well as a classic Thanksgiving book, Molly's Pilgrim, by Barbara Cohen. The book is about a young Russian Jewish girl who migrates to the United States to avoid religious persecution. Unfortunately, her classmates discriminate against her because of her Yiddish accent and culture. Molly's embarrassment when her mother helps her with her Thanksgiving project to make a pilgrim doll that resembles her as a Russian refugee when she was in her home town in Russia, turns out to her favor. The class gets an enhance lesson about pilgrims. The children get to know more about her background and make friendly overtures to her which enhanced her self concept. The presentation will be accompanied with power-point to highlight key ideas and provide the audience opportunity for reflection on their perceptions and to share their experiences.

Keywords:

Diversity, Prejudice, Tolerance, Social Justice.