The Great Diversity Debate: Embracing Pluralism in School and Society

by Kent Koppelman

Overview

“Will American’s growing diversity undermine democracy, or is it instead a cornerstone of democracy? The Great Diversity Debate is essential reading for anyone who has thought about this question. Koppelman gives us a fascinating, detailed, and evenhanded account of the long historical roots of contemporary controversies surrounding flashpoint issues like affirmative action, multicultural education, and globalization. This well-researched and optimistic book will make you think about, and maybe even re-think, such issues.” 

—Christine Sleeter, Professor Emerita, California State University Monterey Bay and President, National Association for Multicultural Education

Based on research from multiple disciplines, The Great Diversity Debate describes the presence and growth of diversity in the United States from its earliest years to the present. The author describes the evolution of the concept of pluralism from a philosophical term to a concept used in many disciplines and with global significance. Rather than assuming that diversity is a benefit, Koppelman investigates the ways in which diversity is actually experienced and debated across critical sectors of social experience, including immigration, affirmative action, education, and national identity, among others. Koppelman takes the sometimes complicated arguments for and against diversity in school and in society and lays out the benefits with great clarity and simplicity making this book accessible to a large audience.

Book Features:

• A broad view of diversity in the United States based on research from philosophy, psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and more.


• Cogent arguments from both advocates and critics concerning whether pluralism represents an appropriate response to diversity in a democratic society.


• An overview of multicultural education, including its origins and its current emphasis on strategies such as culturally responsive teaching.

Contents:

1. The Diversity Debate


2. The Growth of Diversity and Pluralism: The Impact of Immigration


3. Pluralism and Democracy: Complementary or Contradictory?


4. Diversity and Discrimination: The Argument over Affirmative Action


5. The Struggle for Identity: What Does It Mean to Be an American?


6. Multicultural Education in K–12 Schools: Preparing Children and Youth to Function Effectively in a Diverse, Democratic Society


7. Globalization, Diversity, and Pluralism: Finding the Common Ground

Kent Koppelman is professor emeritus of teacher education at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807771662
Publisher:	Teachers College Press
Publication date:	04/26/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	325 KB

About the Author

Kent Koppelman is professor emeritus of teacher education at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Prologue: The First Americans xiii

Introduction 1

1 The Diversify Debate 7

The Advocacy of Human Similarities 7

Valuing Human Differences 9

The Origins of Cultural Pluralism 10

Formulating the Concept of Cultural Pluralism 11

From Cultural Pluralism to Multiculturalism 15

From Multicultural ism to Pluralism 17

Arguments Opposing Pluralism 19

Fixed Principles or Multiple Perspectives 22

Global Dimensions of Pluralism 25

2 The Growth of Diversity and Pluralism: The Impact of Immigration 27

Colonial Diversity 27

Involuntary Immigrants to Colonial America 31

Establishing the Principle of Pluralism 33

Diversity Issues Confronting the New Nation 35

Increasing Diversity after the Civil War 40

Responses to Diversity 42

The Triumph of Anti-Immigrant Forces 47

The Impact of World War II on Diversify 49

The Revival of Cultural Pluralism 51

Learning from the Past Looking Toward the Future 57

3 Pluralism and Democracy: Complementary or Contradictory? 61

The Attitude of the Founders Regarding Diversity 61

Individualism and Pluralism 64

Groups in a Democracy Taking Civic Actions 67

Pluralism and Democracy 69

Problems of Pluralism in a Democratic Society 73

The Role of Government in a Pluralistic Democracy 77

The Global Context for a Pluralistic Democracy 79

4 Diversity and Discrimination: The Argument over Affirmative Action 83

Efforts to Combat Discrimination 84

Implementing the Affirmative Action Mandate 87

Affirmative Action and the U.S. Supreme Court 90

California Rejects Affirmative Action 92

The Affirmative Action Debate 93

Affirmative Action Today 102

5 The Struggle for Identity: What Does It Mean to Be an American? 107

The Importance of a Collective Identify 108

Ethnicity and Race 110

Ethnic Identify 111

Building a Personal Identify Based on Ethnic Identity 116

The Basis for an American Identity in a Global Context 120

6 Multicultural Education in K-12 Schools: Preparing Children and Youth to Function Effectively in a Diverse, Democratic Society 123

The Origins of Multicultural Education 123

The Implications of Demographic Data 128

Multicultural Education to Affirm Diversify 130

Implementing Multicultural Education 134

Future Concerns 147

7 Globalization, Diversity, and Pluralism: Finding the Common Ground 149

The Origin of Globalization 151

How Globalization Developed 153

Globalization and Democracy 158

Globalization and Cultural Diversity 161

Epilogue 167

References 171

Index 185

About the Author 194

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“A fascinating, detailed, and evenhanded account.”
—Christine Sleeter, President, National Association for Multicultural Education