Cultural recognition, cosmopolitanism and multicultural education

This chapter outlines the cultural-historical context that informs the depth and breadth of the construction of difference based on race, class, language and ability and multicultural education in the United States today. It first highlights the history of multicultural movement from the early twentieth century to the present. The authors examine demographic changes that underscore a need for national policies to address diversity and new populations including policies that account for immigrants who constitute an increasingly diverse and skilled global citizenry. Then, the chapter reviews the ways in which education scholars have conceptualized culture and multiculturalism in United States. The authors argue educators must understand the history and cultural contexts of students’ lives in order to develop a multicultural classroom and curriculum. Lastly, the chapter presents two successful education programs for youth from historically marginalized culturally and linguistically diverse background: The Migrant Student Leadership Institute and Learning Lab. The authors recommend educators pursue multicultural curricula and programming as a means to foster debate and dialogue about the importance of students’ active participation in a democratic and inclusive society.

2012

Considering the increasingly growing number of immigrants from different parts of the world arriving in the United States with their cultural background and, the need to insertion in American mainstream society, it becomes imperative to devise social policies that would not only help the transitional process but also follow upon their adaptation to American educational system and subsequent integration in the social work force. Multicultural Education as some would label it has been so far the viable and efficient means of dealing with the diverse ethno-linguistic backgrounds that created the necessity of the English language acquisition as a primordial condition to satisfy the ideology of American Melting-pot. Based on the ideology of “Melting pot, and creating opportunities for ordinary people to aspire for the “American Dream” it would be crucial to reach a unique and one way of communication through one single language. Following the ideal of “Melting pot” and “Assimilation” thr...

1987

The phrase "multicultural education" is used by a wide variety of educators and researchers in an equally wide variety of ways. In this article, Christine Sleeter and Carl Grant review literature which claims "multicultural education" as its subject; they argue that much of the existing literature addresses only limited aspects of multicultural education. The authors have developed a taxonomy by which to define the term, examine how it is used, and criticize various approaches for their shortcomings and oversights. This framework is particularly helpful for educators who are concerned with articulating issues of multicultural education, whether their concerns focus on advocacy for, or implementation of, education that is truly "multicultural."

Gifted Child Today, 2013

The United States is considered the land of immigrants and cultural diversity, and our nation’s ever changing demographics attests to this. Yearly, our nation and schools become more racially and linguistically different. In what ways, we must ask, are schools welcoming and providing for students who come from different cultural backgrounds, especially Black and Hispanic students? The author contends that schools and educators must be culturally responsive; however, misperceptions hinder their appreciation of and respect for multicultural education and, thus, the adoption of culturally responsive practices is infrequent and/or met with reservations. Several (by no means all) misperceptions are share accompanied by counterarguments.

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the concept of multiculturalism in educational settings in the US. Particularly, it discusses the term multicultural education as well as some of its advantages in education. Also, this paper presents an overview of the history and key dimensions of multicultural education in the US. In addition, it presents some of the current major issues and dilemmas of multicultural education that inhibit its effectiveness in many public schools around the US. Finally, this paper provides some practical suggestions and insights for an effective implementation of a multicultural education system.

Educational Theory, 1994

4. Of course, minority cultural identities are not fixed or monolithic but multivocal, and even contradictory. These identities are indecd "fluid" and are theorized here as the effects and consequences of the historically grounded experiences and practices of oppressed minority groups, as well as the processes by which thesepracticesandexperiencescome to berepresented, reconstructed, andreinvented-in daily life, the school, the work place, the symbolic media, textbooks, and the school curriculum. Minority identitics are therefore defined in the context of inter-and intra-group conflicts, encounters, and struggles between minorities and dominant white groups on the ideological terrain of education and in the production and circulation of commonsense meanings in the establishment and popular culture. 5. For a more developed discussion of the institutional appropriation of multiculturalism see Swartz,

Considering the increasingly growing number of immigrants from different parts of the world arriving in the United States with their cultural background and, the need to insertion in American mainstream society, it becomes imperative to devise social policies that would not only help the transitional process but also follow upon their adaptation to American educational system and subsequent integration in the social work force. Multicultural Education as some would label it has been so far the viable and efficient means of dealing with the diverse ethno-linguistic backgrounds that created the necessity of the English language acquisition as a primordial condition to satisfy the ideology of American Melting-pot. Based on the ideology of "Melting pot, and creating opportunities for ordinary people to aspire for the "American Dream" it would be crucial to reach a unique and one way of communication through one single language. Following the ideal of "Melting pot" and "Assimilation" through diversity and Multicultural programs has yielded some fruit. However, is public education a common good in a multicultural environment where more and more communities claim their identities? What explains the needs for multiculturalism in public schools? What are the issues multicultural education attempts to address? But

2016

Overall, the book is well written with excellent organization. The clear subheadings make it easy to follow, and the ties to the literature the students read in class add a creative element to the book as a whole. From the onset of the book's initial chapters, it is clear Modica is well versed in the literature around this topic. She does an outstanding job of weaving ideas from scholars in the field throughout her analysis, making for a particularly rich contribution to previous research. I found the writing clear and explanatory, not limited solely to academics who have prior knowledge of constructs such as critical race theory or the racial identity development models that guide the analysis. That being said, at times I did wish for clearer explanations that revealed how the author aligns herself with the scholars she cites. Multiculturalism, for example, despite the study's focus on a "multicultural literature" class, would have benefitted from a more elaborate explanation. While readers catch glimpses of her epistemological perspective-as when Modica explains tokenism in chapter 2-a more concrete definition or explanation would help clarify terms for readers who are less familiar with such concepts and constructs. This would keep in line the book's ability to reach a practitioner audience. As mentioned, of particular strength is the author's ability to weave the literature into her discussion to support her analysis, and this strength continues until the book's end. Modica's concluding chapter is particularly insightful, providing a critical look at various incidents mentioned in the book's preceding pages with alternative approaches and considerations on what could be done differently going forward. Readers aren't provided a sense of false hope, either; we are able to see the difficult work required to create (school) environments where themes of antiracism can be explored and acted upon.

Current Issues in Education, 2011

With the shifting cultural texture and demographics of the United States , redefining multicultural education has become imperative. There are many views on the benefits and/or shortcomings of the multiculturalization of education. The question is not whether a multicultural education should be adopted but it is rather what we understand from multicultural education and how we are going to initiate such a reform within an educational system when we cannot even define 'multicultural.' "The awareness of one's own assumptions, prejudices and stereotypes is a first step to be able to positively interact and learn from others. In this process lies the essence of intercultural learning" (Martins, 2008, p. 203). This paper attempts to define (and redefine) multicultural education, explain its shortcomings, and offer recommendations for further discussion.