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Review
| Teaching Ethnic Diversity with Film: Essays and Resources for Educators in History, Social Studies, Literature and Film Studies. Carole Gerster, ed. McFarland & Company: Jefferson, North Carolina, 2006. 320 pages. $21.95, paper.
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| The editor of the essays in this book persuasively argues that beyond simply opening up history in general, "Screening film versions of specific eras, events, and peoples in American History... can offer new perspectives and illustrate the numerous ways history can be told and visually experienced." The advent of the VHS player and, more recently, the explosion of DVD technology, has opened the door for teachers desiring to provide visual interpretations of the past. The opportunity to illustrate visually what was once only accessible in textual or oral formats has opened up history/social studies instruction for many students once alienated by its didactic delivery. The window that film provides into cultures and events, not often addressed in the typical K-12 classroom, can enable students to see history from a variety of perspectives and aid student understanding of the "ever-changing dynamics of America's cultural diversity." The book provides an intellectual framework, practical advice, and classroom-tested lessons for educators wanting to tackle issues of racial and ethnic diversity. |
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The first section of the book provides four overview essays that speak to approaches for using film to teach about American Indian, African American, Asian, and Latino/a cultures. Particularly strong are the chapters on American Indian and Latino/a culture as reflected through the cinematic lens. Although uneven in their approach and depth and restrictive in their selection of films, each chapter nonetheless provides insights into stereotypes that have plagued celluloid representations of each group. In addition, the authors provide examples that could be utilized in a variety of instructional settings to prompt student investigation and discussion of the roles played by each group and their respective impacts on American History. |
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In the second and strongest section, Gerster lays out a framework for utilizing film in history, social studies, literature, and film studies courses. The initial chapter of this section explores the tools that all students viewing film must acquire, refine, and apply. Important among these is developing the skill to understand the context in which a film was made. Exploring when a film was made allows students to recognize that films tell a story of the present as well the past. Gerster is also quick to point out that historical documentaries are too often "accepted as objective, factual documents," rather than just another interpretation of events. Her discussion of comparative film analysis provides useful guidelines for the educator who wishes to use compare multiple celluloid representations of a historic event or person, or to teach students how to look for the ways that ethnic stereotypes are perpetuated. Students must be taught to identify these biases before they can effectively decode the interpretation offered by a film. Gerter is aware of how external testing and accountability make concise use of film necessary and is quick to remind instructors of the necessity for viewing guides and selective use of films and film clips rather than full films. Her approach to film and ethnicity in the classroom will enable classroom practitioners to develop the techniques necessary to infuse their instruction with this methodology. |
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The third section of the book collects curriculum units developed for high school classes. In it, experienced teachers share units of instruction that incorporate single or multiple films to promote student investigation of an ethnic group. Though perhaps not directly transferable to the classroom, they are examples of insightful classroom explorations of Latino/a culture, the African American struggle for Civil Rights, Japanese Internment, and other explorations of issues of social justice. Each unit uses multiple films to promote understanding of historical events, people, and ideas from multiple perspectives. Of particular note is the unit on Japanese Internment. Author Nancy Shay, a former high school English teacher, models in an exemplary fashion how to utilize film as an effective counterpoint to literature and how to promote the critical thinking skills advocated by Gerster and the book's other contributors. Teaching Ethnic Diversity with Film is an important contribution to the growing field of film studies and will find its greatest utility as a foundation reader for teachers developing film and history courses or diversifying their pedagogical bag-of-tricks to include serious examination of film as a historical source. It would also be useful to methods professors when addressing the role of film in the K-12 social studies experience. |
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| Franklin High School, Reisterstown, Maryland |
Bruce Allyn Lesh |
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