Abstract

The high school English Language Arts curricula of Central Florida has faced increasing scrutiny during the past decade under often conflicting influences such as a rapidly diversifying student population, activism for and against multicultural curriculum reform, and pressure to streamline curricula and make it conform to state testing standards. Against this social backdrop, the question of how to introduce Inda-Caribbean literature at the secondary level presents unique intellectual and political challenges. On the one hand, first and second generation Inda-Caribbean migrants make up an increasingly significant percentage of Florida's student population. Like other first and second generation Caribbean migrants, Inda-Caribbean students must straddle between their modern Caribbean traditions, juxtaposed with North American societal values; however, their East Indian heritage is rarely reflected in those Caribbean texts that do make it into secondary language arts reading lists. In my thesis, I will explore some of the demographic shifts in Central Florida, consider the extent to which Inda-Caribbean texts might be regarded as representative expressions of Caribbean experience, and suggest how the inclusion of Inda-Caribbean literature in the canon might provide a model for similar curriculum reform in the state of Florida.

Thesis Completion

2007

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Education

Degree Program

English Language Arts Education

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Education; Education -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0022085

Language

English

Rights

Written permission granted by copyright holder to the University of Central Florida Libraries to digitize and distribute for nonprofit, educational purposes.

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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