EDUC 2400 – 01

Week 9. 11/05/07

Announcements:

1. Visit from ESL students, Dixie High School on Nov. 12, 11-11:50. Please e-mail Dr. Davis if your team needs help on this.

2. Keep up with your assignments, quizzes (if you miss one, go to the textbook site and take the multiple choice questions. Send the results to davis@dixie.edu)

Today’s focus

Chapter 10: Heterosexism: Transforming Homosexuality from Deviant to Different

Overview

Chapter Ten begins with the historic assumption that every human being is a heterosexual at birth and reviews research that has challenged this assumption and created the concept of a sexual orientation continuum for human beings that has a biological component. The chapter provides an overview of historical influences shaping the American cultural bias against homosexuality, the myths about homosexuals that have emerged from that bias, and recent developments that have confronted and refuted this cultural bias and these myths. Much of this confrontation has come from social activists demanding gay rights, referring to the civil rights that heterosexuals enjoy. Yet institutional discrimination is still reported in such areas as the workplace, the legal system, the armed forces, and in schools. The chapter examines issues in all of these areas including the demand for recognition of domestic partnerships, gay marriage, research on parenting by same sex couples, the controversy over having openly lesbian and gay soldiers, and the necessity for having openly lesbian and gay teachers.

Chapter 11: Classism: Myths and Misperceptions about Poverty

Overview

Chapter Eleven describes reasons why poverty was historically regarded as a local issue requiring local solutions which began with simple assistance but eventually included the creation of poorhouses to care for poor people. American cultural values have promoted negative influences upon individual perceptions of poor people in terms of their deficiencies and their personal responsibility for their own poverty.

These historic attitudes were altered by the Great Depression of the 1930s when many Americans demanded that the federal government become involved in addressing widespread problems of poverty. That involvement continues today, and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) represents the most recent attempt to resolve poverty through education, but problems with NCLB since its inception have not been resolved. Although many anti-poverty programs from the 1930s are still in existence, the historic negative attitudes have also persisted and are reinforced by derogatory beliefs such as myths about welfare recipients.

Institutions contribute to the exploitation of the poor through government economic policies that favor the wealthiest Americans and contribute to the growing disparity between rich and poor. Vulnerable low-income families are also subjected to economic manipulation by banks and merchants as illustrated by practices such as redlining, high prices for merchandise in low-income areas, and high interest rates. Rent-to-own stores, check cashing stores, and pawnshops also exploit the poor. The chapter concludes with recommendations of actions that have been proposed to address many of the problems created by poverty.

Presentations from Chapters by: Casey W., Lisa., Kimberly and whoever may have prepared for sharing today

Prepare activities for Dixie High School ESL students.