6. Multicultural Education

Learning Objectives

At the end of this section, the participants will:

• Be able to define key terms relating to multicultural education
• Understand the key principles of multicultural education
• Understand ways to integrate multicultural education into classroom practice by developing lesson plans for their classrooms

Guiding Questions

Before you read this section, consider the following questions:

• What is culture? What are the visible elements of culture? Are there hidden elements, and if so, what are they? 
• What are some elements of your culture that came from other cultures? Have you adopted another culture's practices into your own life?
• What are some stereotypes that are common about people from your culture? What are some stereotypes that you commonly hear in your culture about other cultures?
• How can we educate in a way that increases cultural understanding, tolerance, solidarity, and respect?

 

 

Peace is not unity in similarity but unity in diversity, in the comparison and conciliation of differences.
- Mikhail Gorbachev

Introduction

In today's globalized world, diverse cultures increasingly come into contact with one another, with numerous cultures living in the same space.  This diversity allows for great learning opportunities, as people share different practices that others can enjoy, appreciate and learn from.  However, it can also lead to conflict when there is a lack of tolerance or understanding. How can we educate in a way that increases cultural understanding, tolerance, solidarity, and respect? Multicultural education seeks to address this question. 

Multiculturalism

According to Parekh (1999), multiculturalism is best viewed as a way of viewing human life, and includes three central insights:

1. Human beings are culturally embedded (they grow up and live within a culturally structured world and organize their lives and social relations in terms of a culturally derived system of meaning and significance),
2. Different cultures represent different systems of meaning and visions of the good life, and
3. Every culture is internally plural and reflects a continuing conversation between its different traditions and strands of thought.

 

Multiculturalism can be viewed within the spectrum of philosophies of assimilation and integration. With assimilation, minority cultures are absorbed into the majority culture to the point where the minority culture loses its identity. This is a one-way approach, where the minority cultures need to adapt to the majority culture. This is exemplified in the “melting pot” metaphor of American immigration doctrine, which encourages immigrants to “melt” into American culture through assimilation. If you imagine adding spices into soup in a pot, the spices will be blended into the soup, so that perhaps they are not visible or distinguishable. This is how minority cultures are absorbed into the majority culture with assimilation. While the minority culture may add certain characteristics to the majority culture, it is absorbed by the majority culture.

 

With integration, the minority cultures are still visible within the majority culture, and there is a two-way approach of social interaction through which minority and majority cultures take action to facilitate integration. This is exemplified by the “cultural mosaic” metaphor used in Canada, which brings the image of many different cultures living harmoniously in one place to create a diverse whole. With this metaphor, the minority cultures maintain distinguishable characteristics and are able to retain their identities within the majority culture. In this case, the minority cultures make up the greater whole, like small pieces of different colored glass make up a mosaic.

 

According to Modood (2005), multiculturalism differs from integration because it recognizes the social reality of groups - for example, the sense of solidarity with people of similar origin, faith, or language. Multiculturalism also acknowledges the diverse identities of each individual. For example, individuals belong to many different cultures, depending on their ethnicity, race, religion, language, national identity, gender, sexuality, ability, socioeconomic status, etc. Each individual has the potential to identify with multiple cultural identities and therefore is not limited to their “piece of glass” within the mosaic. 

Principles and Goals of Multicultural Education

Multicultural education seeks to develop the attitudes, perspectives, and the knowledge required for people of different cultural backgrounds and traditions to interact with one another on positive and constructive terms (Reardon, 1999).

 

The principles of multicultural education include:

• The theory of cultural pluralism;
• Ideals of social justice and the end of racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice and discrimination; 
• Affirmations of culture in the teaching and learning process; and 
• Visions of educational equity and excellence leading to high levels of academic learning for all children and youth (Quezada & Romo, 2004, p. 4).

 

The objectives of multicultural education are cognitive and attitudinal:

• Cognitive – to develop detailed knowledge of one or more other cultures as a means to comprehend that there are various ways to be human and experience the world 
• Attitudinal – to develop tolerance of ways of life different from one's own, respect for the integrity of other cultures, and appreciation of the positive potential for cultural diversity (Reardon, 1999).

 

Through developing knowledge about another culture, students begin to understand the myriad of ways there are to be human, and come to realize that their way of living is not “correct” or “better” than other ways, but is simply part of the diverse spectrum of humanity. As they learn about other cultures, they become tolerant of other ways of life, develop respect for other ways of life, and appreciate the positive aspects of diversity.

 

When we think of culture, we often think of the “4 Ds”: Dance, Diet, Dialect and Dress. These elements – a culture's food, music, language, and clothing – are often the focus of cross-cultural learning. However, these are just the tip of the cultural iceberg. While these elements are often the most visible and well known, there are many elements of a culture that remain invisible, below the surface, much like the larger body of an iceberg. These hidden elements include values, attitudes, customs, and beliefs. While the “4 Ds” are an important part of culture, and are also an important way to get learners interested in other cultures, it is important in multicultural education that teachers go beyond this superficial level, and reach deeper levels of cultural understanding.

Role of Multiculturalism in Peace Education

The role of multiculturalism in peace education is two-fold.  First, multicultural education is meant to instill and develop a sense of respect and appreciation for differences, whether they are cultural, religious, linguistic, or otherwise.  Second, multicultural education promotes the right to education for all students.  Using the inclusive perspective of multiculturalism, the hope is that no child is excluded from receiving a fair and equal education.  

 

Multicultural education is also strongly linked to human rights education, as it teaches respect for other cultures, which should lead to respect for the fundamental humanity of all people (Reardon, 1999). This respect helps to mitigate discrimination, prejudices and racism, and leads the learners to understand that all people should be treated equally regardless of cultural, religious, or ethnic differences. 

Key Concepts Related to Multicultural Education

Here are some key concepts related to multicultural education. As you read, think about why these concepts are important to multicultural education. Also think of ways in which you can encourage students to reflect on these concepts.

 

Bias – subjective opinion or predisposition. A bias does not have to be based on fact, but rather may come from cultural conceptions of otherness. Cultural bias is interpreting and judging phenomena in terms particular to one's own culture. 

 

Prejudice – prejudgement; a preconceived notion or belief made without reason. According to Jones (2000), prejudice is differential assumptions about the abilities, motives, and intentions of others according to some characteristic (ethnicity, race, gender, ability, sexuality, etc). Bias and prejudice are sometimes used synonymously. 

 

Discrimination – behavior that results in the unequal treatment of people because they are members of a particular group. According to Jones (2000), discrimination is differential actions towards others according to a characteristic (ethnicity, race, gender, ability, sexuality, etc.). Note that the difference between prejudice and discrimination is largely in action; prejudice is largely a mental process (which may manifest verbally), whereas discrimination manifests as behavior and action. 

 

Stereotype – a standardized set of ideas that represent an oversimplified depiction of a particular group (ethnic, racial, gender, etc.). 

 

Ethnocentrism – thinking that one's own group is superior to others; judging other groups as inferior to one's own; making false assumptions about others based on own limited experience (Barger, 2008). Barger argues that we are all ethnocentric, as we all make assumptions about others based on our own limited experience. The problem with ethnocentrism is that it leads to misunderstanding others and can involve false negative (or false positive) judgments. An example of a false negative judgment would be judging another culture as being “lazy” for having a different (or seemingly different) attitude towards work than one's own culture. An example of a false positive judgment would be to idealize or glamorize another culture, such as someone from a city thinking that people in the countryside enjoy a better lifestyle because they are “free of the stresses of modern society,” while not taking into consideration the many stresses of the rural way of life, such as crop instability, or food security. 

 

What can we do about ethnocentrism, stereotypes, and bias? The first step is to recognize that we do not understand, and that we are falsely assuming something. According to Barger (2008), one of the most effective means of recognizing our own ethnocentrism is to watch for our immediate reactions (thoughts such as “that doesn't make sense” or “that's wrong,” feeling offended, confused). Once you realize that you are not understanding, you can seek understanding by taking a respectful attitude and inquiring into the meaning and function of a particular context. 

 

Relativism - relativism usually means not judging others and accepting them as equals (Barger, 2008). Cultural relativism is often debated on issues related to human rights and gender equality. For example, are human rights culturally relative? Do they depend upon the culture that you come from, or are they universal? Is gender equality culturally relative, or culturally dependent? According to Barger, the real issue of relativism is “at what point is one group justified in intervening in the behavior of another group?” (2008, p. 8). 

 

Racism has to do with prejudice, based on differences in race, in combination with power dynamics.  “Race” is not biological or scientific, but rather is a social and political construct which characterizes people based on physical characteristics (skin colour, shape of eyes, texture of hair, body size, physique, etc). Unequal power relations are at the center of racism. Jones (2000) identifies three types of racism:

 

• Institutional racism – differential access to the goods, services and opportunities of society by race. Institutional racism may be legalized and manifest as disadvantage, and may structural, codified in institutions. If this is the case, there may not be an identifiable perpetrator.
• Personally-mediated racism – prejudice and discrimination, where prejudice means differential assumptions about the abilities, motives, and intentions of others according to their race, and discrimination means differential actions towards others according to their race. This is what most people think of when they hear the word “racism”; personally-mediated racism may be intentional or unintentional;
• Internalized racism – acceptance by members of the stigmatized races of negative messages about their own abilities and intrinsic worth; reflects systems of privilege and societal values; erodes individual sense of value and undermines collective action. 

 

Jones argues that the key to addressing all forms of racism is through eliminating institutional racism, which will lead to the subsequent elimination of the other forms.  

Anti-racism Education

One of the roots of multicultural education is anti-racism education. As defined by Sefa Dei (1997), anti-racism education is an action-oriented strategy for institutional, systemic change to address racism and the interlocking systems of social oppression. The purpose of anti-racism education is to create a just and humane society for the wellbeing of all people. Power relations are at the center of the discourse. Anti-racism goes beyond individual prejudices to examine how racist ideas are entrenched and supported in institutional structures. 

 

Sefa Dei (1997) outlines ten basic principles of anti-racism education:

1. Examining the social effects of “race”;
2. Understanding all forms of social oppression, such as oppression based on gender, class, and sexuality;
3. Understanding white male power and privilege and the rationality for dominance in society;
4. Acknowledging the subjugation of knowledge and experience of subordinated groups in education systems;
5. Providing for a holistic understanding and appreciation of the human experience;
6. Discussing notions of identity, and how identity is linked to schooling;
7. Confronting the challenges of diversity and difference via appropriate pedagogy;
8. Acknowledging/Understanding the traditional role of the educational system in perpetuating inequalities;
9. Understanding school problems within material and ideological circumstances;
10. Promoting student-teacher-parent-community relations based on the important role that family and/or home environment plays in the student's education. 

 

Anti-racism education thus overlaps with multicultural education and human rights education, and is a key component of peace education efforts.  

The Integrative Theory of Peace

A theory relevant to the field of multicultural education is the The Integrative Theory of Peace (ITP), which is “based on the concept that peace is, at once, a psychological, social, political, ethical and spiritual state with its expressions in intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup, international, and global areas of human life” (Danesh, 2006, p. 55).

 

The Integrative Theory of Peace includes four tenets:

1. Peace is a psychosocial and political as well as a moral and spiritual condition.
2. Peace is the main expression of a unity-based worldview.
3. The unity-based worldview is the prerequisite for creating both a culture of peace and a culture of healing.
4. A comprehensive, integrated and lifelong education within the framework of peace is the most effective approach for a transformation from the conflict-based meta-categories of survival-based and identity-based worldviews to the meta-category of unity-based worldview (Danesh, 2006).

 

Danesh (2006) describes three different kinds of worldviews: survival-based, identity-based, and unity-based. The survival-based worldview is normal during infancy and childhood and corresponds to agrarian and pre-industrial periods of development. Unequal power relations and use of force are common manifestations of this worldview, and it requires conformity, blind obedience, and passive resignation. This worldview is not conducive to peace, as it tends to concentrate wealth and power, and results in disadvantage for large segments of the population.

 

The identity-based worldview corresponds to the coming-of-age of an individual or society, and is typically characterized by increased democracy. However, this phase is also characterized by extreme competition and power struggle, and an individualistic “survival of the fittest” mentality. Both the survival-based and identity-based worldviews are conflict-based worldviews, in which conflict is seen as an inevitable part of human existence.

 

With the unity-based worldview, a new level of consciousness is reached and humanity becomes aware of its fundamental oneness.  In this worldview “society operates according to the principle of unity in diversity” (Danesh, 2006, p. 68).  The unity-based worldview supports the equality of all members of society through a cooperative power structure. 

 

The unity worldview encompasses a different view of conflict. While other worldviews hold that conflict is an inherent part of being human, the unity worldview proposes that once unity is established, conflicts are often prevented or easily resolved (Danesh, 2006). Danesh draws the analogy of health in the human body - the unity worldview would be a process of creating health, rather than trying to eliminate the symptoms of a disease (p. 69). Thus, within the unity worldview, conflict is not inevitable, it is preventable.

 

Ultimately, “peace is achieved when both the oneness and the diversity of humanity are safeguarded and celebrated” (Danesh, 2006, p. 69). The celebration of unity through diversity is precisely the goal of multicultural education. Furthermore, the Integrative Theory of Peace brings to light the important question of whether conflict is actually an inherent part of human existence, or if it is truly a matter of worldview.

Challenges of Multicultural Education

A key component of multicultural education is achieving the balance between accepting differences and working towards unification. Similarities are often turned to and emphasized in order to bring people together and promote solidarity. Incorporating differences becomes complicated when the focus is too intensely on sameness.  Focusing strictly on similarities can be problematic since it promotes the idea that we can only work with those who are similar to us. It can also promote a false idea of homogeneity, if differences are ignored. Therefore, it is important for teachers to take the more difficult road and discuss how differences play out and how students can be accepting of differences.

 

Another key issue is finding the balance between tolerance and control. In pluralistic societies with large immigrant populations, there is a wide assortment of beliefs, cultures, religions, and traditions. Sometimes these cultural aspects blend well together, but other times they are in opposition to one another. Similarly, there is generally one culture that is seen as the majority or dominant group. While individual freedom is accepted and encouraged, it is not absolute; boundaries exist that limit personal choices, especially when they challenge the common good or when they do not coincide with the beliefs and values of the majority. In short, finding the balance between tolerance and control is a large part of any discussion of multiculturalism.

Sample Lesson

 

Diversity and Discrimination (Reardon & Cabezudo, 2002, p. 24-26)

The following exercise is intended to help learners better understand the relationship between difference and discrimination, and to consider that the presence of diversity, an important part of a culture of peace, need not lead to discrimination on the basis of difference.

Source

Adapted from Sanaa Osseiran, et al., Handbook Resource and Teaching Material in Conflict Resolution, Education for Human Rights, Peace, and Democracy, published by the Educational Centre for Research and Development (ERCD), Beirut, Lebanon, in collaboration with the International Peace Research Assosciation (IPRA) and UNESCO, 1994, p. 48.

Grade level and subjects

Middle grades, 6-8; social studies, history, current affairs

Materials

Chalk and chalk board

Methods

Brainstorming; group discussion

Concepts

Justice, diversity, ethnicity, discrimination, human rights, tolerance

Objectives

Students will:

• ·         Expand understanding of the meaning of diversity, the meaning of discrimination, and the difference between them
• ·         Be exposed to real examples from daily life in order to apply and analyze related issues

Procedures

1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  
6.  

 

Questions for Comprehension and Reflection

1. What are the key principles of multicultural education?
2. Why is multicultural understanding a necessary component for promoting peace? 
3. When you think about your own experience with people from other ethnic groups and with attitudes expressed about relations with other countries, what examples come to your mind where you may have imposed your own views and feelings about life on their experience? 
4. Look at Step 6 of the Sample Lesson. Try this exercise for your community, envisioning what a diverse community without discrimination would look like, and some possible actions to take towards this vision.
5. How do the cognitive and attitudinal objectives of multicultural education manifest themselves in your classroom?
6. Do you celebrate the individual backgrounds and stories of your students? If so, how? If not, how can you bring their lives and identities into your classroom?

References

Barger, K. (2008). What is ethnocentrism? IUPUI. Retrived from http://www.iupui.edu/~anthkb/ethnocen.htm.

 

Clarke-Habibi, S. (2005) Transforming Worldviews: The Case of Education for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Journal of Transformative Education, 3(1), pp. 33-56.                 Retrieved from http://api.ning.com/files/S0rX6xrsXdAcFXCKp0CSf77xKUfC7b*H16inslu5CBw_/ClarkeHabibiEFPCaseStudyprintformat.pdf

 

Danesh, H.B. (2006). Towards an integrative theory of peace education, Journal of Peace Education, 3(1), March, pp. 55-78. Retrieved from http://www.efpinternational.org/publications/Towards_an_Integrative_Theory_of_Peace_Education.pdf

 

Jones, C. P. (2000). Levels of racism: A theoretical framework and a gardener's tale. American Journal of Public Health, 90 (8): 1212-1214. Retrieved from

http://www.cahealthadvodates.org/_pdf/news/2007/Levels-Of-Racism.pdf

 

Parekh, B. (1999). What is multiculturalism? Multiculturalism: A symposium of democracy in culturally diverse societies. No. 484, December. Retrieved from http://www.india-seminar.com/1999/484.htm 

 

Quezada, R & Romo, J. (2004). The Role of Institutions of Higher Education and Teacher Education in Promoting Peace Education and Justice. Multicultural Education Magazine, Spring. Reprinted in Annual Editions. McGraw-Hill Publishers. 

 

Reardon, B. A. (1999). Peace Education: A Review and Projection. Peace Education Reports, Department of Educational and Psychological Research, Malmo University. August. 

 

Sefa Dei, G. (1997). Anti-racism education and practice. Halifax: Fernwood, Chap. 2.