ERIC Number: EJ813331
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Sep
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0094-1956
EISSN: N/A
Waking Up to Difference: Teachers, Color-Blindness, and the Effects on Students of Color
Castro Atwater, Sheri A.
Journal of Instructional Psychology, v35 n3 p246-253 Sep 2008
Color-blindness, the ideology that "race should not matter" in how individuals are treated, is often confused with "race does not matter" (Neville, 2000). The historical, social, and political origins of color-blind racial attitudes are outlined here. Developmental and constructivist theories are used to illustrate how teachers' use of the color-blind ideology may hinder students' critical thinking skills and inadvertently affect their cognitive growth. Research documenting color-blind practices in schools is presented, and variables that may affect teachers' ability to adopt color-conscious practices are reviewed. Teaching about the consequences of color-blindness to pre-service teachers can make them aware of how this ideology may affect their practice.
Descriptors: Constructivism (Learning), Race, Racial Attitudes, Ideology, Thinking Skills, Cognitive Development, Predictor Variables, Preservice Teachers, Educational Practices, Racial Bias, Elementary Secondary Education, Psychology
Project Innovation, Inc. P.O. Box 8508 Spring Hill Station, Mobile, AL 36689-0508. Tel: 251-343-1878; Fax: 251-343-1878; Web site: http://www.projectinnovation.biz/jip.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A