Understanding Human Differences: Multicultural Education for a Diverse America, 6th edition

Published by Pearson (January 22, 2019) © 2020
Kent L. Koppelman

Title overview

For courses in education.

A clear, engaging look at education in the 21st century, focusing on the interactions between the individual and institutions

Understanding Human Differences employs a stimulating inquiry approach to engage students in discussing issues of American society. Grounded in research from the behavioral and social sciences, this text uses a question-and-answer format to bring the topics to life.

The 6th Edition is thoroughly updated to keep readers aware of new factors impacting ongoing and emerging issues.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The Vega conceptual framework organizes the content into sections covering individual and institutional behavior for ease of learning. (See the preface for an introduction to the framework, and subsequent references throughout every chapter.)
  • The inquiry approach encourages student discussion and debate on the issues, while making the topics relevant and understandable.
  • End-of-chapter discussion activities include analytical and open-ended questions, all stemming from issues presented in the chapter.

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: Examination of arguments from opponents of same-sex marriage (Chapter 11).
  • NEW: New content on the need for K to 12 schools to prepare immigrant youth for college (Chapter 4).
  • UPDATED: Updated coverage of  the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and arguments for teaching religion in K to 12 public schools (Chapter 6), coverage of economic issues increasingly affecting elderly and young Americans (Chapter 9) coverage of the influence of body images on males (Chapter 10), coverage of Common Core State Standards and the political opposition (Chapter 13).

Table of contents

  1. Understanding Ourselves and Others: Clarifying Values and Language
  2. Understanding Prejudice and Its Causes
  3. Communication, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution
  4. Immigration and Oppression: The Assault on Cultural and Language Diversity
  5. Race and Oppression: The Experiences of People of Color
  6. Religion and Oppression: The Struggle for Religious Freedom
  7. Rejecting Oppressive Relationships: The Logic of Cultural Pluralism for a Diverse Society
  8. Racism: Confronting a Legacy of White Domination in America
  9. Classism: Misperceptions and Myths About Income, Wealth, and Poverty
  10. Sexism: Where the Personal Becomes Political
  11. Heterosexism: Challenging the Heterosexism Assumption
  12. Ableism: Disability Does Not Mean Inability
  13. Pluralism in Schools: The Promise of Multicultural Education
  14. Pluralism in Society: Creating Unity in a Diverse America

Author bios

About our author

Kent L. Koppelman is the author and editor of several books in the field of multicultural issues and diversity, among them Values in the Key of Life (Baywood Publishing, 2000), a book of essays on diversity and moral issues, Understanding Human Differences (Pearson, 2020) and The Great Diversity Debate (Teachers College Press, 2012). Dr. Koppelman is professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

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