We Have Been Here Before: A Historical Overview of Bias and Culture Wars in K–12

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: Identity, Front and Centered (Table 22)

Abstract

Disrupting the current cultural wars that have crept into public education is essential to cultivating a generation of young people who already instinctively know intersectionality. This theoretical paper examines the three important periods in the history of “cultural wars” in the United States and their impact on public education; Post-Brown, Multiculturalism, and Cultural Relevance. One of the ways to reimagine positive, equitable educational outcomes, is to train teachers on how to best identify their biases to confront their blind spots and contextualize the current debates. In order to reduce bias, teacher education programs must train teachers to be more inclusive, no matter how uncomfortable, through reflective practice, and a better historical understanding concerning diversity, equity and inclusion in this country.

Author

• Stuart Rhoden, Arizona State University