Human Diversity in Education: An Integrative Approach

Human Diversity in Education: An Integrative Approach is a research-based, comprehensive text designed to provide an introduction to multicultural education and diversity in society. The text prepares future teachers for the wide diversity of students that they are certain to meet in their classrooms, schools, and communities. It provides an updated and broad treatment of the various forms of human diversity found in today’s schools including nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, class, language, sexual orientation, and ability levels. The text maintains a unique approach – a research-based cross-cultural psychological emphasis on how people learn about culture. The text is based on the assumption that it is at the level of the individual teacher where the change that must occur with regard to diversity in schools begins. It assumes that teachers must learn to incorporate issues of diversity in all of their teaching, including, but not limited to their interactions with children, parents, other teachers and the community. In the fourth edition new Case Studies are used to introduce major concepts at the start of chapters and Critical Incidents refer back to the Case Studies throughout the chapter. New coverage includes an emphasis on globalization and a new chapter on intercultural development. Important topics covered include: intercultural development of individuals, globalization and international education, religion in society and schools, gender and sexuality, exceptionality, and diversity with respect to early childhood.

Kenneth Cushner is Associate Dean for Student Life and Intercultural Affairs, and Professor of Education and in the College and Graduate School of Education at Kent State University. He received his doctorate at the University of Hawaii while on scholarship with the Institute of Culture and Communication of the East-West Center. Dr. Cushner is a frequent contributor to the professional development of educators and other professionals through workshops, writing, consulting, and travel programs. Among his publications, he is co-author of Intercultural Interactions: A Practical Guide, 2/e (Sage Publications, 1996); co-editor of Improving Intercultural Interactions, Vol. 2 (Sage Pub, 1997); editor of International Perspectives on Intercultural Education (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998), and author of Human Diversity in Action (McGraw-Hill, 1999). He has taught in schools or developed educational programs for teachers and youths on all seven continents, and is current Director of COST—The Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching.

Averil McClelland is Associate Professor of Cultural Foundations of Education and Director of the Project on the Study of Gender and Education in the College of Education at Kent State University. She received her undergraduate degree in sociology with honors from Hiram College and her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in cultural foundations from Kent State University. The author of several articles on gender and multicultural issues in education, she is author of a sourcebook, The Education of Women in the United States, and a Member Center Director with the National Council for Research on Women.

Philip Safford is Professor of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, and Professor Emeritus, Special Education, Kent State University. His Ph.D. was earned through the combined program in education and psychology of the University of Michigan, with specialization in special education and developmental psychology. Previously, he had been a teacher of emotionally disturbed children and also a coordinator and director of special education in residential treatment programs. He has authored four books, all concerning special education for infants, toddlers, and preschool age children with disabilities, as well as numerous journal articles. He has directed or co-directed a number of training, research, and demonstration projects supported by federal and state grants in special education.