5.2
WHAT IMPACT DOES
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION HAVE ON TEACHING?
Education that is multicultural provides an
environment that values diversity and portrays it positively. Students'
educational and vocational options are not limited by gender, age, ethnicity,
native language, religion, class, or disability. Educators have the
responsibility to help students contribute to and benefit from our democratic
society. Diversity is used to develop effective instructional strategies for
students in the classroom. The integration of multicultural education throughout
the curriculum should help students and teachers think critically about
institutionalized racism, classism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia. Ideally,
educators \\'ill begin to develop individual and group strategies for overcoming
the debilitating effects of these societal scourges.
Activity 5.2 (Be
sure to label your work correctly!)
When Cultures Clash
1. Is music one way to describe
culture?
2.Write a brief scenario (no more than one
paragraph) describing an instance of misunderstanding that occurs between
a teacher and a student who are from different backgrounds.
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Teaching to Influence Societal Change
The greatest concern of students in too many parts of
our country is of safety. For them, violence in their lives is a normal way of
life; school may be one of the few havens of safety. Unfortunately, their
schools often are understaffed, are underfunded, and suffer from other social,
economic, and cultural inequities Therefore, Educators who implement
multicultural education must also be concerned with helping change the
conditions in society that lead to the vast differences among communities and
their schools.
Teaching to Understand Microcultures
Multicultural education is based on a broad definition of
the concept. By using culture as the basis for understanding multicultural
education, the authors present descriptions of seven microcultures to which
students and teachers belong. Of course, these are not the only microcultures to
which individuals belong, but these are the most critical in understanding
pluralism and multicultural education at this time. An individual's cultural
identity is based not only on ethnicity but also on his or her class, religion,
gender, language, abilities, and age. To further complicate matters, the degree
of identification with one's ethnic origin, religion, and other microcultural
memberships varies greatly from individual to individual. We are not just men
and women; instead, we are men and women within the context of our ethnic,
religious, and class background. We cannot be identified by our membership in
only one of those groups.
The complexity of pluralism in the
United States makes it difficult for the educator to develop expectations of
students solely on the basis of one of their group memberships. The interaction
of these memberships within a sexist and racist society defines who we are. This
text is designed to examine these group memberships and the ways the educator
can develop educational programs to meet the needs of those groups and the
nation.
Teaching to Create Equitable Environments
Educators can deliver an equitable education for all
students. Schools can eradicate discrimination in their own policies and
practices if educators are willing to confront and eliminate their own racism
and sexism. Educators cannot attack sexism without also fighting against racism,
classism, homophobia, and discrimination based on abilities, age, and religion.
To rid our schools of such practices takes a committed and strong faculty. It is
a task that can no longer be ignored.
Overview....
This module examines how diversity is
embedded in the culture of the United States and its implications to teaching.
Within this diversity, teachers are expected to provide each child irrespective
of his/her gender, race, social class, ethnicity, or setting (rural, urban,
suburban) with equal educational opportunities. Statistics show that the
percentage of ethnic minorities in the United States has been growing steadily
and there is a net increase of one international migrant every 30 seconds. This
translates to an increasing number of students from diverse cultural backgrounds
in most schools in the United States. The growing number of ethnic minorities
and immigrant children has necessitated rethinking of the concept of equal
educational opportunities. Bilingual education programs and multicultural
education approaches to teaching have been adopted in an effort to provide all
children with a quality' education. This has been a challenge.
Vocabulary
Cultural Identity -An
overall sense of oneself, derived from the extent of one's participation in
various subcultures within the national macroculture.
Bilingual
Education -A curriculum for non-English-speaking and English-speaking
students in which two languages are used for instruction and biculturalism is
emphasized.
Multiculturalism- a set of beliefs based on the
importance of seeing the world from different cultural frames of reference and
valuing the diversity of cultures in the global community.
Limited
English Proficient -(LEP A designation for students with limited ability
to understand, read, or speak English and who have a first language other than
English.
Ethnicity -A shared feeling of common identity
that derives, in part, from a common ancestry, common values, and common
experiences.
Race-A concept of human variation used to
distinguish people on the basis of biological traits and
characteristics
Minorities Groups of people who share certain characteristics
and are smaller in number than the majority of a
population.
Language-minority Students Students whose language
of the home is a language other than English.
Stereotyping -The process
of attributing behavioral characteristics to all members of a group; formulated
on the basis of limited experiences with and information about the group,
coupled with an unwillingness to examine prejudices.
of a group; formulated
on the basis of limited experiences with and information about the group,
coupled with an unwillingness to examine prejudices.
Individual Racism- The
prejudicial belief that one's ethnic or racial group is superior to
others.
Institutional Racism Institutional policies and practices,
intentional or not, that result in racial inequities.
Afrocentric
Schools.
Schools that focus on African-American history and
cultures for African-American pupils
Indian Education Act of 1972 and 1974
Amendments-a federal law and subsequent amendment designed to
provide direct educational assistance to Native-American tribes and
nations.
Bicultural- The ability to function effectively in two
or more linguistic and cultural groups
Multicultural Education -Education that provides equal educational opportunities to all
students-regardless of socioeconomic status; gender; or ethnic, racial, or
cultural backgrounds-and is dedicated to reducing prejudice and celebrating the
rich diversity of American life.
Multicultural Curriculum -A school curriculum that addresses the needs and backgrounds of all
students regardless of their cultural identity and includes the cultural
perspectives, or "voices," of people who have previously been silent or
marginalized.
Sex Role
Stereotyping- Beliefs that
subtly encourage males and females to conform to certain behavioral norms
regardless of abilities and interests.
Sex Role Socialization -Socially expected behavior patterns conveyed to individuals on the basis of
gender.
Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA)--- A 1974 federal
law that guarantees equal educational opportunity for females.
Gender
Bias- Subtle bias or discrimination on the basis of gender; reduces the
likelihood that the target of the bias will develop to the full extent of his or
her capabilities
Gender-fair Classroom--
Education that is free of bias or discrimination on the basis of
gender.