These American lives: becoming a culturally responsive teacher and the 'risks of empathy'

• Published in: Race, ethnicity and education Vol. 14; no. 5; pp. 603 - 629
• Main Authors: Ullman, Char, Hecsh, Janet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 01-11-2011
• Subjects: Attitudes; Candidates; College Students; Comparative Analysis; Culturally Relevant Education; culturally responsive teaching (CRT); Culture; Empathy; Europe; Hispanic Americans; Ideology; Minority Groups; Multicultural education; Preservice Teacher Education; Race; Risk; Social theory; Student Attitudes; Student Teacher Relationship; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Characteristics; teacher dispositions; teacher preparation; Teachers; U.S.A; United States; Whites
• ISSN: 1361-3324; 1470-109X
• DOI: 10.1080/13613324.2011.589172

Do teacher candidates who identify as White and European American think about issues of difference in ways that vary distinctly from teacher candidates who identify as Latina/o or Hispanic? In this article, we engage with the literature on culturally relevant teaching that suggests teacher candidates of color are more likely to have some of the characteristics of culturally responsive teachers than are White teacher candidates when they enter teacher preparation programs. By comparing the attitudes of teacher candidates from a majority Hispanic-serving university and a university that serves mostly White and European American students, we question the idea that certain bodies are coterminous with particular ideologies.