Diversity in early care and education: honoring differences

1. Perceiving and responding to differences

Focus questions

Culture is unconscious

A narrow view

What are the effects of being ignored?

Broadening the view

Cultural pluralism

Cultural pluralism and early care and education programs

Babies are raised to be members of their cultures

Synchrony is important

Misunderstandings

More examples of cultural differences

"Let's figure this out"

A contrast in values

Differing perspectives on dependence

Focus on themes and tends

Transformative education

Summary

For further reading

Notes

2. Communicating across cultures

Focus questions

Interpreting the meaning of behavior

The importance of teachers understanding cross-cultural communication

Learning to communicate across cultures

Personal space

Smiling

Eye contact

Touch

Silence

Time concepts

The influence of teachers' attitudes on their learning

Summary

For further reading

Notes.

3. Working with diversity issues

Focus questions

Examples of cultural conflicts

Conflicting definitions and goals

An example of better teacher-parent communication

Five outcomes to cultural conflicts

Resolution through negotiation resulting in compromise

Ongoing management of the unresolved conflict

Teacher education

Parent education

Mutual education

Should teachers ever convince parents to change?

Parent education and teacher education

A process called RERUN for working with diversity issues

Suggestions for approaching cultural conflicts

Summary

For further reading

Notes

4. A framework for understanding differences

Focus questions

What's an individualist and what's a collectivist?

Eating and sleeping : two contrasting patterns

Pattern one : schedules

Pattern two : natural rhythms

More diversity issues around feeding and eating

Dealing with a conflict by creating a dialogue

Varying perspectives on early self-feeding

Taking responsibility for the amount that a child eats

Suggestions for resolving conflicts over eating and sleeping

Summary

For further reading

Notes.

5. Attachment and separation

Focus questions

Comparing babies in two families

Baby A

Baby B

A theme in attachment : cutting or not cutting the apron strings

The influence of life threats on the attachment process

Parent behaviors

Separating survival practices from cultural values

Summary

For further reading

Notes

6. Differing perspectives on learning through play

Focus questions

Adult attitudes toward play are influenced by culture

Babies playing

Adult reactions to the amount of stimulation in the scene

Cultural differences related to stimulation

Preschoolers playing

Adult reactions to this scene

Themes reflected by the comments

People versus object orientation

Choice

Adult role

Emphasis on words versus nonverbal communication

Defusing a cross-cultural encounter

An example of a cross-cultural encounter

Summary

For further reading

Notes.

7. Socialization, guidance, and discipline

Focus questions

Differing goals of socialization : stand out or fit in

The socialization process

Sample conflicts

Other areas of conflict

Guidance and discipline

Internalized versus externalized controls

Time-out

Physical punishment

Power and authority

Learning to read indirect communication

Summary

For further reading

Notes.