Multicultural education can not be understood separately from the laws, regulations, practices, and ideologies in the society or at schools. Education, as Nieto stated, is “tied to the social, political, and economic structures that frame and define our
population, the need for multicultural education is even more relevant. Today, the United States is experiencing its greatest immigration levels since the early twentieth century (Suárez-Orozco et al., 2005). Multicultural education serves to address such diversity. Its primary goals are to promote justice, equity, and respect for all by teaching students the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to participate in multiple cultures within their community, the nation, and the globe (Banks, 2006). National mandates for inclusion of multicultural components in art education curricula are now in place in the United States (Banks, 2006).
beliefs and understandings are expected to be numerous and diverse. Therefore, the main focus is to assess and consider particular values that are important to the needs and desires of teachers, students, and parents of students, which, conversely, parallel cosmopolitanism and maintain positive values in the ideal school which carry on into the ideal classroom. Bottery (1990) suggests awareness of values which motivate people at present time and, yet, does not hamper societal norms within the community. In this case, an ideal international school with a cosmopolitan ideology should attract only teachers and parents who share similar beliefs and values about students’ education such as developing students’ keenness to openly communicate to others with intellectual and ethical respect to other cultures (Gunesch, 2007). Since cosmopolitanism reflects world citizenship for an individual and respect to local cultural diversity (Ibid), students need to become familiar with various elements that make this an enriching life such as exposure and reflection to various cultures via trips or activities (White, 2007).
There have been many books written about culture and diversity, there has been a focus on training to be culturally competent and tools have been developed to assess competencies. There have been works on racial identity development and multicultural counseling summits have been developed as well. There are three components of multicultural competencies: awareness of self and others, knowledge and skill. Counselors are required to be aware of their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors and know how they apply to a diverse client base. Counselors should not impose their beliefs on their clients as well as they need to know how their own cultural identities affect the counseling process.
Multicultural Education: Theory and Application For the purpose of this study, Multicultural Education as conceptualized by Banks (1984) and complimented by Campinha-Bacote’s Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare, partially forms the theoretical framework. Banks identified the following five concepts as dimensions of multicultural education: Content Integration, Knowledge Construction, Equity Pedagogy, Prejudice Reduction, and an Empowering School Culture and Social Structure. According to Banks (1993), the many passionate debates on multicultural education generally obscured the theory, research, and growing consensus among multicultural education specialists about its nature, aims, and scope and a significant gap
In “Multiculturalism Should Be Promoted” an article that appeared in Culture Wars in 2004, director of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington in Seattle James A. Banks and editors of Rethinking Schools argue that multiculturalism should be taught and practiced in today’s schools. Part I of the article, written by the editors of Rethinking Schools, talks about “A Fight for Justice” and “White Privilege.” The editors’ focus their argument by providing what teachers should incorporate inside their classrooms to promote multiculturalism, its definition, and what multiculturalism can provide for the community. The editors pointed out that multiculturalism entails support. In Part II, written by James A.
The schools will be one of the meeting places for students from different races, cultures and languages. Therefore, one of the objectives of education will promote respect for diversity within a context of equal rights. According to Vazquez Gómez , a multicultural society is accomplished by following these conditions; To identify the subject (both minority and majority); establish the ultimate aims of education(by reducing conflicts and promoting cultural, participatory and democratic development); determine the processes and resources through which those ends are achieved and finally to project these processes in a curriculum framework. Having clarified concepts such as interculturalism, multicultural education and the causes of its origin
On this statement, the multicultural education is very important in our country for us to be able to provide the educational equity and improve positive socialization behaviors to all international students who have different cultures. A lot of scholars have given definitions to the concept of multicultural education. For instance, Banks (1988) treated multicultural education as a kind of reflection on ideas for the purpose of enabling all students from different cultures and different ethnic group backgrounds to have access to equal educational opportunities and the same learning treatment from school and teachers. Multicultural education is a process of comprehensive school reform and basic education for all students. It challenges and rejects discrimination in schools and society.
Education will most likely have a very significant effect on kids so the origin and composition of such education is extremely important. The curriculum of a child’s education, which typically includes history, literature, art and science, will likely impact the child’s perception of how the world was created, their perception of history and society and shape the way they think and function according to their experiences. Some, such as Neoliberalists believe that the group identity should be held as more important than the individual’s identity. Others, who may be considered Multiculturalist, believe that the group should focus on the individuals within the society. Each of these theories would result in a different form of curriculum and
As stated by McBrien and Brandt in The Language of Learning: A guide to Education Terms, “A multicultural education helps students to understand and relate to cultural, ethnic, and other diversity. Multicultural education should be a process to work together and to celebrate differences, not to be separated by them” (Leistyna, 2002). Because a multicultural education exposes students to cross cultural beliefs and practices, it works to make sure each individual will have a better understanding to respect different cultures, which in turn reduces negative prejudices and stereotypes (Levy, Rosenthal & Herrera-Alcazar, 2010). By teaching diverse traditions and perspectives, questioning stereotypes, and recognizing the contributions of all groups