Box #2: Language Policy & Literacy

U.S. Case Study #1

On March 26, 1790 the U. S. congress approved the Naturalization Act. In the next century (19 th century) according to Spring (1997) [Note 1] the U. S. government and educational systems "rejected the concept of the United States as a multicultural society" and instead promoted the U. S. as a "society unified around Protestant [Euro] American culture" (p. 1). There was the perception that deculturalization was necessary to acquire the loyalty of the "Other" (i.e., those other than Euro American Protestants).

  1. Identify some of the cultural crises (i.e., stresses on society) that were occurring in the 18 th and 19 th centuries. How did these crises affect the societies living in the U. S. (i.e., Euro Americans, African Americans, Indigenous peoples, Mexican Americans, and the Irish and German immigrants)
  2. Review the Naturalization Act of March 26, 1790 .
  3. Define Deculturalization .
  4. Describe the role/purpose of the common school movement of the 1830s and 1840s.
  5. Do any of these crises, acts, or movements have bearing on society in the U. S. today in 2004? If yes, why? If not, why not?
  7. Review the article by Peggy McIntosh (July/August, 1998), White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Peace and Freedom (pages unknown). This article is also available on the web. Explain the concept of white, middle class privilege as it relates to clinical intervention. [Note 2]
  9. Explain the concepts involved in culturally appropriate clinical intervention with clients and their families. Identify a type of communication (speech, language, and/or audiological) disorder and describe cultural considerations that would impact clinical interventions for that disorder.

For the class presentation,

  2. Analyze the problems from various perspectives
  3. Provide evidence (references) for your analyses
  6. Propose various strategies for addressing the problems.

This is your final examination , consequently, the presentation should be a formal one including handouts, visuals (e.g., power point or overheads as appropriate), and bibliographic references.

  1. Spring, J. (1997). Deculturalization and the struggle for equality: Brief history of the education of dominated cultures in the United States . Second edition . New York : The McGraw-Hill Companies.

  2. This question, as well as questions 8 and 9 were adapted from a syllabus ( Contemporary Issues in Clinical Intervention ) located on line that was produced by Delores Battle.

Copyright © Yvette D. Hyter May 2004