Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The College of Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CEHSS) Interdisciplinary Research Committee at SC State University will host a Brown Bag Lunch Lecture on today, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 at noon in Staley Hall Auditorium.
The Faculty Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series was launched in Spring 2008 to introduce faculty to the work currently conducted within the CEHSS and external partners, and to encourage collaborative research projects between disciplines.
Dr. Reginald Williams, assistant professor of Early Childhood Education at SC State University, will serve as guest speaker. Williams’ topic will be: “Mickey, Bugs, Popeye, Betty, and Bosko: Using Negative Cultural Perceptions in Cartoons to Help Children Shape Their Social Viewpoints.”
According to Williams, cartoons are prominent influences on young children’s social views, but latent dominant discourses existing in the 1930s continue to be reinforced today. “Cartoons are repeating negative/extreme stereotypes and installing/indoctrinating perceptions in children’s minds, without any critical stance,” notes Williams.
During his presentation, participants will view cartoons and discuss whether each of them has a negative or positive socio-cultural message and how (if possible) that cartoons can be used to better help children discover their personal viewpoints.
Over the course of his career, Williams has focused his research on the education of homeless children, the use of developmentally appropriate early childhood assessment; the empowerment of parents, families, communities, and schools during the early childhood years, and infant/toddler curricula development. He is the co-author of a number of articles related to these subjects and has presented at the National Association for the Education of Homeless Parents and Youth. In the past two years, he has secured grants to integrate the SC Infant and Toddler Standards into SC State’s Early Childhood Education classes and to research classroom management practices in four-year old classrooms. A S.C. certified child care trainer, Williams is comprehensively trained in the High/Scope Preschool Curriculum, the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregiving, and in the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale.
Williams earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina (USC). Prior to attending USC, he served as an early childhood lead teacher in Bamberg School District Two in the Pre-kindergarten Department. He earned his Master of Arts degree in teaching in early childhood education from South Carolina State University. He graduated with his Artium Baccalaureus (AB)in English from Duke University.
Williams has been a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) since 2002 serving as Orangeburg cluster representative and student groups committee chairperson. He is currently the president of the South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children and serves as a member of the NAEYC audit team.
Williams was born, raised, and educated in the public schools of Denmark, S.C. He is married to the former Shannon LA’Vett Paula Stukes, and they have one daughter, Kennedy Madison. They reside in Orangeburg, S.C.
For more information about the Faculty Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series, contact Mrs. Giselle White-Perry, lecture series coordinator, at (803) 536-8803; or Dr. Janice Hawes, CEHSS interdisciplinary research committee chairperson, at (803) 536-8356.
Certificates of attendance will be provided by the Office of Professional Development and Training. To register, log onto http://www.scsu.edu/wconnect/ace/home.htm or contact the Office of Professional Development at (803) 536-7104.