Many of these aren't sterotypes, they are cultural differences is all. For instance (and I'll let Connie elaborate on this more if she likes), the Mexican tradition of grinding corn for flour is a time-honored custom and ritual, especially for making tamales at holiday time, that is undertaken with much love and pride to produce just the right consistency, it's like an art. Should we deprive the children from learning that aspect of cultural diversity by negating it into a "stereotype"? In one breath it seems some folks want to stress cultural diversity, and then in the same breath they want to strip all character and individuation from people and cultures, it just doesn't make sense. I've always held Amerindians in esteem for their living in spiritual harmony with and their respect for the earth, with nature. I viewed it as a superior aspect of their culture. To mention this is now forbidden and demeaning? Is it better to say that many are now the greedy, ruthless, corporate casino moguls they've become?
And "hut"...for crying out loud. Huts are NOT "enthnocentric." It is a specific type of living quarters that many peoples and cultures throughout history, especially archeologoically speaking, have constructed with the best materials and technologies available to their indigenous areas and times...grass huts on the steppes, adobe huts in the US Southwest, thatch huts in tropical areas. (I know history is largely untaught these days, but to call these period structures small houses is just inaccurate and ridiculous). And what if a child asks about ice-fishing? Those are traditionally ice-fishing huts, not small houses. And, by omitting and banning so many paranoically deemed "negative" references, we're actually eliminating more positive influences in the childrens' realm of knowledge and development. For instance, as far as nursing/nannies/nurturing...then we can't teach them about Florence Nightengale or Clara Barton? Children shouldn't be "subjected" to Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music?
And why not just teach the truth instead of maiming the language and editing/censoring classic literary allusions? Tell them that for a large a part of history the world was a very patriarchal society where men were considered more important than woman...this was an unfair attitude...and it has changed...we now view men and women as equally important...but that's why many historic couplings, such as Adam and Eve, mention the man first. Isn't honesty always the best policy, especially with children?
