Abstract
With the contemporary movement toward equity, diversity, and inclusion of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in North America, there is a critical need for expanding the resources for enhancing the equitable understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds. Given the negative representation of Muslims and Middle East culture in North America and in children’s books in particular, the purpose of this study is to examine the existing curricular resources to inform immediate pedagogies and identify the niche to develop further resources by People of Color that comprehensively represents the Muslim and Middle Eastern culture for children. The proposed research is guided by a qualitative methodology, informed by critical discourse analysis and a postcolonialism analytical approach to children’s picture books. With the increasing population of Middle Easterners in North America and growing of Islam as the second largest religion with one point two (1.2) billion adherents, the imbalanced portrayal of this group is a threat to unity and peace in democratic nations. This research contributes to the culturally appropriate portrayal of the Middle East region in children’s literature which informs positive interactions among Muslims and non-Muslim groups.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education and Learning Worlds of Differences
KEYWORDS
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION, CURRICULUM, CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, MIDDLE EAST, MUSLIM MINORITIES
