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Arkansas State University

Diversity in the Curriculum: Home

This guide is intended to help you find both print and online diversity resources.

This guide is intended to help you find both diversity in the curriculum resources. This guide is only a starting point for your research, it is not meant to be a comprehensive list of resources. If you need further assistance, please visit the Service Desk in the library or contact your librarian, April Sheppard, at asheppard@astate.edu.

       
     Book Icon   Search for books, dvds, journals and more with our Library Catalog Search:
 

 
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         Search for articles, ebooks, journals, books, media and more with OneSearch:
 

SCHOLARLY OR NOT?

Scholarly and peer reviewed are your "academic" articles. These are the ones that deal directly with research, history, or theory. Most likely, your professor wants you to use these types of articles. These types of articles are written by scholars, experts in the field often associated with a university or an organization. Peer reviewed articles must also be approved by a group of scholars before being published to ensure that the research presented is factual and relevant. Not everyone can get peer reviewed.

Popular magazine articles are usually ones that you read for entertainment. These are usually the type of publications that you find at the grocery store checkout. Chances are if there's a celebrity on the cover, it's a popular magazine.

For a more in-depth look at the differences, please visit our Scholarly Journals guide.

WORDS TO USE

Diversity in the curriculum covers a wide range of topics. If you're having trouble coming up with a research topic, here are some keywords you can use that might help you get started:

  • Ageism
  • Agender
  • Asexual
  • Bisexual
  • Communication
  • Culture
  • Customs
  • Disability
  • Diversity
  • Equity
  • Graduation
  • Hate Speech
  • Heterosexual
  • Homelessness
  • Homosexuality
  • Inclusion
  • International
  • Invisible
  • Pansexual
  • Poverty
  • Racism
  • Religion
  • Retention
  • Service Animals
  • Services
  • Students
  • Success
  • Support
  • Transgender
  • Visible

 
If you want to combine keywords, use the connector AND between terms:

"international students" AND "invisible disabilities"

You can learn more about connectors in our Boolean Searching guide.

OUR STUDENTS

There is no "typical" A-State student. Our students vary in background, culture, race, ability, disability, religion, sexuality, age, and more.

For many students, their arrival at A-State marks the first time they've had to support themselves. For some, it's a time for self-discovery and figuring out where they fit in the world. Some students find a support group while others discover there's no one else like them (or feels like there is no one else). Additionally, A-State has over 600 international students from over 50 countries that also have to adjust to new languages and cultures.

As faculty, we need to strive to support all our students. Diverse students can be susceptible to stereotyping and discrimination both in and outside the classroom, especially online. International students may not understand American humor or insults and can have difficulties understanding American law or traditions. Some student groups, such as LGBTQ students, may have higher rates of depression and mental health crises.

BOOKS IN THE DEAN B. ELLIS LIBRARY

All books in the library are arranged by subject using the Library of Congress classification system for call numbers and subject headings. There is not a separate section for diverse students in the Library of Congress classification, but you can find relevant material in the following areas:

BP1 - BP610  - Islam
GN301 - GN356 - Enthology. Social and cultural anthropology
GN357 - GN367 -
Culture and cultural processes
GN406 - GN517 - Cultural traits, customs and institutions
GT1 - GT7070  - Manners and customs (general)
HQ74 - HQ74.2 - Bisexuality
HQ75 - HQ76.8 - Homosexuality, Lesbianism
HQ77 -- HQ77.2 - Transvestism*
HQ77.7 - HQ77.95 - Transexualism*. Transgender.
LB2300 - LB2430 - Higher Education
LC1099 - LC1099.5 - Multicultural Education
LC4000 - LC4806.5 - Education of children and youth with disabilities
LC4812 - LC5160.3 - Other classes (includes higher education of students with disabilities)
PE1001 - PE1693 - Modern English (Includes ESL)

 
Occasionally a totally different call number will appear, such as International Students and Academic Libraries (Z666 .P475 2010). This means the book is more about libraries than international students and was given to the other subject when the call number was assigned. This doesn't mean it's not a good book for your topic!

* The Library of Congress Classification System was developed in 1897. As culture and technology changes, so has the classification system - albeit, slowly. Because of the age of the classification system, you sometimes come across words and phrases that are either not currently used or no longer socially acceptable. Transvestism and transexualism are examples of words that have fallen out of favor that have not yet been updated in the classification system. Do not use these terms to refer to others unless they specifically self identify with the term.

DATABASES

Databases with green All Full Text or partially green Partial Full Text icons offer some level of free, full-text articles. In most cases, you must be affiliated with A-State to view the article or on the A-State campus. Some database offer a "pay-per-view" service where you can buy an article not available for free and have immediate access. If you do not need immediate access to the article, you may also request it through Interlibrary Loan and Delivery Services for free. Articles requested through Interlibrary Loan can take 2-5 business days to come in, depending on the lending library. You can also digital scans from our physical collection through Digital Delivery.

To view all our databases, click here.

CONTACT US

Email Icon  library@astate.edu

   (870) 972-3077

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WHAT IS ISLAM?

Islam is the second largest religion. It is a monotheistic religion (meaning one god). Allah is the Arabic word for "God". People that follow Islam are Muslim and Muhammad is their prophet.

Islam has ties with Judaism and Christianity. Biblical figures such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus are important to the Muslim faith and are considered prophets. There are an estimated 1.6 billion followers, including an estimated 206,000 Muslims in Arkansas.

WHAT IS LGBTQ?

LGBTQ stands for:

L - Lesbian - women who are romantically or sexually attracted to other women

G - Gay - men who are romantically or sexually attracted to other men

B - Bisexual - individuals who are romantically or sexually attracted to both men and women

T - Transgendered - includes individuals who dress opposite of their biological gender, who chose to live as the opposite gender and all stages of transitioning.  Transgendered is not a sign of sexuality.

Q - Questioning - an individual who questions their sexuality or gender

WHAT IS A DISABILITY?

Disability is an umbrella term for a condition that impairs or limits activity. There are 54 million Americans with a disability and an estimated 11% of undergraduate students have some sort of disability.

When most people think of disabilities, they think of visible disabilities - that is, obvious disabilities such as those requiring wheelchair or service animals. However, most disabilities are invisible meaning that they are not obvious by looking at the person. This includes a wide range of conditions such as ADHD, autism, mental disorders, chronic pain, chronic fatigue and many more. Also in many cases, disabilities may not always fit stereotypes. For example, someone can be considered legally blind and still be able to see (with limitations).

If you have a disabled student in your class, don't tell them that they "look good" for a disabled person or question if they really are disabled. Talk to the student and Disability Services and learn how to best serve the student.

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