Abstract
Despite a recent increase in the number of studies examining diversity in a contemporary society in relation to gender/sexuality, family, culture, and bilingualism; no study has investigated the intersections of these four areas. The current study discusses the results of an empirical study that explored how discussions about books depicting same-sex parents help bilingual kindergarteners of Mexican descent understand gender non-conforming families, situating it within different theoretical perspectives including critical literacy and sociocultural perspectives. Based on qualitative data gained from a parent survey, teacher interviews, and classroom observations, the findings showed that discussions about books depicting non-heterosexual families provided the bilingual children in the focal classroom with a valuable opportunity to learn about family diversity and gender fluidity. This study offers implications for practitioners in early childhood and bilingual classrooms.
References
Arciniega, G. M., T. C Anderson, Z. G. Tovar-Blank & T. J. G. Tracey (2008). Toward a fuller conception of machismo: Development of a Traditional Machismo and Caballerismo scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 55, 19–33.10.1037/0022-0167.55.1.19Search in Google Scholar
Author (2015). XXXXXSearch in Google Scholar
Bishop, R. S. (1992). Multicultural literature for children: Making informed choices. In V. J. Harris (Ed), Teaching multicultural literature in grade K-8 (pp. 37–54). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.Search in Google Scholar
Blackburn, M. V. & C. T. Clark (2011). Analyzing talk in a long-term literature discussion group: Ways of operating with LGBT-inclusive and queer discourses. Reading Research Quarterly, 46(3), 222–248.10.1598/RRQ.46.3.2Search in Google Scholar
Burke, B. (2014). Positionality: Reflecting on the research process. The Qualitative Report, 19 (18), 1–9.10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1026Search in Google Scholar
Cai, M. (2002). Multicultural literature for children and young adults: Reflections on critical issues. Westport, CT: Greenwood.10.5040/9798400688232Search in Google Scholar
Casper, V., H. K. Cuffaro, S. Schultz, J. G. Silin & E. Wikens (1996). Toward a most thorough understanding of the world: Sexual orientation and early childhood education. Harvard Educational Review, 66 (2), 271–293.10.17763/haer.66.2.h44831447873261pSearch in Google Scholar
Creswell, J. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Search in Google Scholar
DeWalt, K. M. & B. R. DeWalt (2002). Participant observation: A guide for fieldworkers. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira.Search in Google Scholar
Dinkins, E .G. & P. Englert (2015). LGBTQ literature in middle school classrooms: Possibilities for challenging heteronormative environments. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 15(4), 392–405.10.1080/14681811.2015.1030012Search in Google Scholar
Dyson, A. H. & C. Genishi (2005). On the case. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.Search in Google Scholar
Erickson, F. (1986). Qualitative methods in research on teaching. In M. C. Wittrock & M. C. Wittrock (ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (pp.119–161). New York, NY: Macmillan.Search in Google Scholar
Esquinca, A., B. Araujo & M. T. De La Piedra (2014). Meaning making and translanguaging in a two-way dual-language program on the U.S.-Mexico Border. Bilingual Research Journal, 37, 164–181.10.1080/15235882.2014.934970Search in Google Scholar
Estrada, F. & G.M. Arciniega (2015). Positive masculinity among Latino men and the direct and indirect effects on well-being. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 43, 191–205.10.1002/jmcd.12014Search in Google Scholar
Falicov, C. J. (2010). Changing constructions of machismo for Latino men in therapy: “The devil never sleeps”. Family Process, 49(3), 309–329.10.1111/j.1545-5300.2010.01325.xSearch in Google Scholar
Fránquiz, M. & M. De La Luz Reyes (1998). Creating inclusive learning communities through English language arts: From chanclas to canicas. Language Arts, 75(3), 211–220.10.58680/la19983288Search in Google Scholar
García, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the twenty-first century: A global perspective. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.Search in Google Scholar
Godina, H. (1999). High school students of Mexican background in the Midwest: Cultural differences as a constraint to effective literacy instruction. In T. Shanahan & F. V. Rodriguez-Brown (Eds.), National Reading Conference annual yearbook (Vol. 48, pp. 266–279). Chicago, IL: National Reading Conference.Search in Google Scholar
Godina, H. & S. Soto-Ramirez (2017). Emergent gender roles within tween popular culture: Perspectives from Mexican American students in a fifth-grade classroom. Journal of Latinos and Education, 16(2), 98–109. doi.10.1080/15348431.2016.1205990Search in Google Scholar
Goldberg, A. E. (2010). Lesbian and gay parents and their children: Research on the family life cycle. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.10.1037/12055-000Search in Google Scholar
Gort, M. & S. F. Sembiante (2015). Navigating hybridized language learning spaces through trasnlanguaging pedagogy: Dual language preschool teachers; languaging practices in support of emergent bilingual children’s performance of academic discourse. International Multilingual Research Journal, 9, 7–25.10.1080/19313152.2014.981775Search in Google Scholar
Gutiérrez, K. D., P. Baquedano-López & C. Tejeda (1999). Rethinking diversity and hybrid language practices in the third space. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 6(4), 286–303.10.1080/10749039909524733Search in Google Scholar
Halgunseth, L.C., J.M. Ispa & D. Rudy (2006). Parental control in Latino families: An integrated review of the literature. Child Development, 77, 1282–1297.10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00934.xSearch in Google Scholar
Helmer, K. (2015). Gay and lesbian literature disrupting the heteronormative space of the high school English classroom. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning DOI: 10.1080/14681811.2015.1042574Search in Google Scholar
Hermann-Wilmarth, J. M. (2010). More than book talks: Preservice teacher dialogue after reading gay and lesbian children’s literature. Language Arts, 87(3), 188–198.10.58680/la201029426Search in Google Scholar
Huang, S. (2011). Reading “further and beyond the text”: Student perspectives of critical literacy in EFL reading and writing. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 55(2), 145–154.10.1002/JAAL.00017Search in Google Scholar
Janks, H. (2000). Domination, access, diversity, and design: A synthesis for critical literacy education. Educational Review, 52(2), 175–186.10.1080/713664035Search in Google Scholar
Jennings, T. & G. Sherwin (2008). Sexual orientation topics in elementary teacher preparation programs in the USA. Teaching Education, 19(4), 261–278.10.1080/10476210802436328Search in Google Scholar
Kirk, J. & M. L. Miller (1986). Reliability and validity in qualitative research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.10.4135/9781412985659Search in Google Scholar
Lankshear, C. & P. McLaren (1993). Critical literacy: Politics, praxis, and the postmodern. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.Search in Google Scholar
Luke, A. (2000). Critical literacy in Australia: A matter of context and standpoint. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43(5), 448–461.Search in Google Scholar
Martínez-Roldán, C. M. & J. M. López-Robertson (1999). Initiating literature circles in a first-grade bilingual classroom. The Reading Teacher, 52, 270–281.Search in Google Scholar
Mayo, Y. & R. Resnick (1996). The impact of machismo on Hispanic women. Affilia, 11, 257–277.10.1177/088610999601100301Search in Google Scholar
Merriam, S. B. (2001). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Search in Google Scholar
Miles, M. B. & A. M. Huberman (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Search in Google Scholar
Munoz-Laboy, M.A. (2008). Familism and sexual regulation among bisexual Latino men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37, 773–782.10.1007/s10508-008-9360-ySearch in Google Scholar
Newman, L. (1994). Heather has two mommies. Los Angeles: Alyson BooksSearch in Google Scholar
Nylund, D. (2006). Critical Multiculturalism, whiteness, and social work: Towards a more radical view of cultural competence. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 17(2), 27–42.10.1300/J059v17n02_03Search in Google Scholar
O’Leary, A., H. H. Fisher, D. W. Purcell, P. S. Spikes & C. A. Gomez (2007). Correlates of risk patterns and race/ethnicity among HIV-positive men who have sex with men. AIDS Behavior, 11, 706–715.10.1007/s10461-006-9205-4Search in Google Scholar
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.Search in Google Scholar
Pew Research Center. The shifting religious identity of Latinos in the United States. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center. 6/28/2017. http://www.pewforum.org/2014/05/07/the-shifting-religious-identity-of-latinos-in-the-united-states/.Search in Google Scholar
Polacco, P. (2009). In our mothers’ house. New York, NY: Philomel BooksSearch in Google Scholar
Puckett, J.A. & H.M. Levitt (2015). Internalizing stigma within sexual and gender minorities: Change strategies and clinical implications. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 9, 329–349.10.1080/15538605.2015.1112336Search in Google Scholar
Rhedding-Jones, J. (2010). Critical multicultural practices in early childhood education. In S. May & C. E. Sleeter (Eds.), Critical multiculturalism: Theory and praxis (pp. 73–85). New York, NY: Routledge.Search in Google Scholar
Roldan, I. (2007). AIDS stigma in the Puerto Rican community: An expression of other stigma phenomenon in Puerto Rican culture. Revista Inter Americana de Psicologia, 41, 41–48.Search in Google Scholar
Rosenblatt, L. (1994). The transactional theory of reading and writing. In R. Ruddle, M. Ruddle & H. Singer. (Eds.), Theoretical models and process of reading (pp. 1057–1092). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.Search in Google Scholar
Ryan, C. L., J. Patraw & M. Bednar (2013). Discussing princess boys and pregnant men: Teaching about gender diversity and transgender experiences within an elementary school curriculum. Journal of LGBT Youth, 10(1–2), 83–105.10.1080/19361653.2012.718540Search in Google Scholar
Sayer, P. (2013). Translanguaging, TexMex, and bilingual pedagogy: Emergent blinguals learning through the vernacular. TESOL Quarterly, 47(1), 63–88.10.1002/tesq.53Search in Google Scholar
Schall, J. & G. Kauffmann (2003). Exploring literature with gay and lesbian characters in the elementary school. Journal of Children’s Literature, 29(1), 36–45.Search in Google Scholar
Sipe, L. R. (2008). Storytime: Young children’s literary understanding in the classroom. NY: Teachers College.Search in Google Scholar
Smolkin, L. B. & C. A. Young (2011). Missing mirrors, missing windows: Children’s literature textbooks and LGBT topics. Language Arts, 88(3), 217–225.10.58680/la201113415Search in Google Scholar
Stokes, J. P. & J. L. Peterson (1998). Homophobia, self-esteem, and risk for HIV among African American men who have sex with men. AIDS Education and Prevention, 10, 278–292.Search in Google Scholar
Strauss, A. & J. Corbin (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. London: Sage.Search in Google Scholar
Toro-Morn, M. I. (2015). Familismo. In S. Loue & M. Sajatovic (Eds.), Encyclopedia of immigrant health (pp. 672–274). New York, NY: Springer.10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_277Search in Google Scholar
U. S. Census Bureau (2014). American community survey. Retrieved from: http://thedataweb.rm.census.gov/TheDataWeb_HotReport2/profile/2014/5yr/np01.hrml?SUMLEV=10Search in Google Scholar
Vasquez, V. M. (2004). Negotiating critical literacies with young children. New York, NY: Routledge.10.4324/9781410611109Search in Google Scholar
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Willhoite, M. (1990). Daddy’s Roommate. Los Angeles: Alyson BooksSearch in Google Scholar
Worthy, J., L. Durán, M. Hikida, A. Pruitt & K. Peterson (2013). Spaces for dynamic bilingualism in read-aloud discussions: Developing and strengthening bilingual and academic skills. Bilingual Research Journal, 36(3), 311–328.10.1080/15235882.2013.845622Search in Google Scholar
Yoon, B. (2016). Critical literacies: Global and multicultural perspectives. New York, NY: Springer.10.1007/978-981-287-943-1Search in Google Scholar
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial Comment
- Multiculturalism Still Matters
- Research Articles
- Pre-Service Teachers’ Metaphors of Learning and Teaching English as a Second Language
- Cultural Awareness on A Bilingual Education: A Mixed Method Study
- Pre-Service Teachers’ Changing Perspectives of Mexican Immigration following an Online Multicultural Literature Experience
- A Portrait of Chinese Culture: Investigating Perceptions Presented in Children's Books
- Faith and Pedagogy: Intersections of Asian American Teachers’ Identities and Practice
- Living Together in a Diverse World: Conversations about the Stories of Two Mommies and Daddies among Mexican-descent Bilingual Kindergarteners
- Implementing ELF-informed Activities in an Elementary Level English Preparatory Classroom
Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial Comment
- Multiculturalism Still Matters
- Research Articles
- Pre-Service Teachers’ Metaphors of Learning and Teaching English as a Second Language
- Cultural Awareness on A Bilingual Education: A Mixed Method Study
- Pre-Service Teachers’ Changing Perspectives of Mexican Immigration following an Online Multicultural Literature Experience
- A Portrait of Chinese Culture: Investigating Perceptions Presented in Children's Books
- Faith and Pedagogy: Intersections of Asian American Teachers’ Identities and Practice
- Living Together in a Diverse World: Conversations about the Stories of Two Mommies and Daddies among Mexican-descent Bilingual Kindergarteners
- Implementing ELF-informed Activities in an Elementary Level English Preparatory Classroom