Question

Which of the following are examples of how whiteness is normalized in the educational curriculum, as opposed to education through a multicultural perspective?

- The experiences of Americans of European descent are central to our knowledge of American history.
- Authors write for a primarily white audience.
-Literary "classics" include figures such as Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain.- All racial groups experienced stereotypes that can result in harmful consequences for that group.

Answer 1

The first three examples are all ways in which whiteness is normalized in the educational curriculum, as opposed to education through a multicultural perspective. The experiences of Americans of European descent being central to our knowledge of American history, authors writing for a primarily white audience, and literary "classics" featuring primarily white authors such as Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain all contribute to a Eurocentric view of education.

The last example, "all racial groups experienced stereotypes that can result in harmful consequences for that group," could be seen as a statement that acknowledges the importance of multicultural education, as it recognizes the experiences of non-white racial groups. However, it does not directly address the normalization of whiteness in the educational curriculum, so it cannot be classified as an example of either.