Diversity in early care and education : honoring differences / Janet Gonzalez-Mena.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Perceiving and responding to differences -- Focus questions -- Culture is unconscious -- A narrow view -- What are the effects of being ignored? -- Broadening the view -- Cultural pluralism -- Cultural pluralism and early care and education programs -- Babies are raised to be members of their cultures -- Synchrony is important -- Misunderstandings -- More examples of cultural differences -- "Let's figure this out" -- A contrast in values -- Differing perspectives on dependence -- Focus on themes and tends -- Transformative education -- Summary -- For further reading -- Notes -- 2. Communicating across cultures -- Focus questions -- Interpreting the meaning of behavior -- The importance of teachers understanding -- Cross-cultural communication -- Learning to communicate across cultures -- Personal space -- Smiling -- Eye contact -- Touch -- Silence -- Time concepts -- The influence of teachers' attitudes on their learning -- Summary -- For further reading -- Notes --

3. Working with diversity issues -- Focus questions -- Examples of cultural conflicts -- Conflicting definitions and goals -- An example of better teacher-parent communication -- Five outcomes to cultural conflicts -- Resolution through negotiation resulting in compromise -- Ongoing management of the unresolved conflict -- Teacher education -- Parent education -- Mutual education -- Should teachers ever convince parents to change? -- Parent education and teacher education -- A process called RERUN for working with diversity issues -- Suggestions for approaching cultural conflicts -- Summary -- For further reading -- Notes -- 4. A framework for understanding differences -- Focus questions -- What's an individualist and what's a collectivist? -- Eating and sleeping : two contrasting patterns -- Pattern one : schedules -- Pattern two : natural rhythms -- More diversity issues around feeding and eating -- Dealing with a conflict by creating a dialogue -- Varying perspectives on early self-feeding -- Taking responsibility for the amount that a child eats -- Suggestions for resolving conflicts over eating and sleeping -- Summary -- For further reading -- Notes --

5. Attachment and separation -- Focus questions -- Comparing babies in two families -- Baby A -- Baby B -- A theme in attachment : cutting or not cutting the apron strings -- The influence of life threats on the attachment process -- Parent behaviors -- Separating survival practices from cultural values -- Summary -- For further reading -- Notes -- 6. Differing perspectives on learning through play -- Focus questions -- Adult attitudes toward play are influenced by culture -- Babies playing -- Adult reactions to the amount of stimulation in the scene -- Cultural differences related to stimulation -- Preschoolers playing -- Adult reactions to this scene -- Themes reflected by the comments -- People versus object orientation -- Choice -- Adult role -- Emphasis on words versus nonverbal communication -- Defusing a cross-cultural encounter -- An example of a cross-cultural encounter -- Summary -- For further reading -- Notes --

7. Socialization, guidance, and discipline -- Focus questions -- Differing goals of socialization : stand out or fit in -- The socialization process -- Sample conflicts -- Other areas of conflict -- Guidance and discipline -- Internalized versus externalized controls -- Time-out -- Physical punishment -- Power and authority -- Learning to read indirect communication -- Summary -- For further reading -- Notes.