Multicultural Education

Goals and Characteristics– Components

• An idea or concept– All students regardless of gender, social class, ethnic,racial

cultural characteristics have equal opportunity to learn in school

• An education reform movement– All social class, gender,racial, language, and cultural groups =

equal opportunity– Total school or educational environment– Includes curricular change

A process– Continuous change

Major goals– Improve academic achievement– Promote strength and value of culture– Promote human rights, respect for those different, social

justice, equal opportunity, and distribution of power among groups

Promote alternative life choices for people

Dimensions of multicultural education Content integration The knowledge construction process Prejudice reduction An equity pedagogy An empowering school culture and social

structure

History of Development

Civil rights movement of 1960s Goal

– To eliminate discrimination in public accommodations, housing, employment, and education

Results– Significant influence on institutions of education

(reform curricular, hiring practices,community control of school in

– neighborhoods, textbook revision– Celebrate holidays, other special days, ethnic

celebrations– Single group studies– Other marginalized groups take action in 1970s

• grievances and demands more human rights• senior citizens, disable, etc. • mainstreaming in education

– Women (employment, income, education, child rearing)

The 1980s

Support somewhat diminished– Governmental policies conservative– Critics became active– Present

• Profess they understand , but know little about it• Policy mandates require the inclusion of content• Household term in media

James Banks’ phases of multicultural education Phase I

– Monoethnic studies • Civil rights movement• Demand of African American teachers• More community control of schools• Text revision and contributions

Phase II– Multiethnic studies

• Focus on several minority groups• Comparative perspective

Phase III– Multiethnic studies education

• Realization that reforming courses was insufficient to result in genuine educational reform

Phase IV– Multicultural education

• Interest in broader development of pluralistic education • Want reform of total school environment• Focus on a wider range of racial and ethnic groups

Phase V– Slowly occurring process designed to increase

pace and scope of the institutionalization of multiethnic multicultural education within school

Five Characteristics Culture

Culture is learned. A culture is logically integrated, functional,

sense-making whole. All cultures are constantly changing; no culture

is completely static. Every culture has a “value system”. Culture make possible the reasonably efficient,

largely automatic interaction

– between individuals that is a prerequisite to social life.

Understanding Culture

National – American, Japanese, Mexican, etc.

Ethnic– African American, Hispanic American, Native

American, Asian American, European American, etc.

Regional– (U.S., West Coast, East Coast etc.)

Gender– Male & Female

Socioeconomic Class– Rich & Poor

Age – Different generations

Socioeconomic Class – Rich & Poor

Physical Ability– Disabled, hearing impaired, blind, wheelchair,

etc. Sexual Orientation

– Beliefs and values that may accompany being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual

Corporate– Utilities, Computers, Insurance, etc.

Departmental– Accounting, Field operations, etc.

Union– Skill and professional associations

Society, Culture, the Individual

Society– An organized group of individuals. Each society

possesses a culture, a set of customs and traditions that designate appropriate or required ways of acting, thinking and feeling.

Culture– An organized group of learned responses characteristics

of a particular society. Social heritage and design for living shared by group of people and transmitted to the following

– generations. The Individual

– A living organism capable of independent thought, feeling, and action, but with independence limited and all responses profoundly modified by contact with the society and culture in which one develops.

Social Structure or Organization– A complex system of interrelated positions and their accompanying

roles that define the Position Role

– behavior of individuals and their relations with one another.

Position– refers to location within a society. Every person

occupies several different positions simultaneously. In each position certain things are expected of him/her to fulfill certain roles

Role– Refers to the pattern of behavior that is

– expected or required of a person who occupies a particular position. An individual’s role in connection with each position he/she occupies consists of things he /she is expected to do, other things he/she is expected to do, other things he/she may or may not do as he/she sees fit, and still other things that he/she is expected not to do. Knowing the cultural norm means we can predict the consequences of certain behavior.

Individual

Gender Race/nationality Ethnic background SES Geographic region Personal interest Lifestyle of family Abilities/disabilities

Perception & expectations in life

Hemispericity &/or learning style– Left/right brained

Values – Upbringing– Life experiences

The Components of the North America Culture: Values and Beliefs Rugged Individualism:

– Individual primary unit– Has primary

responsibility – Independence and

autonomy highly values and rewarded

– Individual can control environment

Competition:– Winning is everything– Win/lose dichotomy

Action Oriented:– Must master and control

nature– Must always do something

about a situation– Pragmatic/utilitarian view

of lie

Decision Making:– Majority rule when

whites have power– Hierarchical– Pyramid structure

Time:– Adherence to rigid time

schedule– Time viewed as a

commodity

Holidays:– Based on Christian

religion, White history, male leaders

Communication:– Standard English– Written tradition– Direct eye contact– Limited physical contact– Controlled emotions

Religion:– Belief in Christianity– No tolerance for

deviation from single god concept

History:– Based on European

immigrants experience in the U.S.

– Romanticize war

Protestant Work Ethic:– Working hard brings

success Progress and Future

Orientation:– Plan for future– Delayed gratification– Value continual

improvement and progress

Emphasis on Scientific method:– Objective, rational,

linear thinking– Cause and effect

relationships– Quantitative emphasis– Dualistic thinking

Status and Power:– Measured by economic

possessions– Credentials, titles,and

positions– Believe “own” system– Believe better than

other systems– Owning goods, space,

standard property

Family Structure– Nuclear family is the

ideal social unit– Man is bread winner

and head– Woman is homemaker

and subordinate to husband

– Patriarchal structure

Aesthetics:– Music and art based on

European culture– Women’s beauty based

on blonde, blue-eyed, thin, young

– Men’s attractiveness based on athletic ability, power, economic status

Why Important

Enhances a good self-concept and self understanding

Sensitivity to and understanding of others, including cultural groups around world

Ability to perceive and understand multiple and sometimes conflicting, cultural and national interpretations of and perspectives on events, values, and behavior

Ability to make decisions and take effective action based on multicultural analysis and synthesis

Open minds when addressing issues Understand the process of stereotyping, a

low degree of stereotypical thinking, and pride inself and respect for all peoples

School a Social System

The hidden curriculum• Attitudes • Text p. 24