Multicultural Education 4 Goals and Characteristics Components An

Multicultural Education 4 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

4 A process – Continuous change 4 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

4 Promote alternative life choices for people

Dimensions of multicultural education 4 Content integration 4 The knowledge construction process 4 Prejudice reduction 4 An equity pedagogy 4 An empowering school culture and social structure

History of Development 4 Civil rights movement of 1960 s 4 Goal – To eliminate discrimination in public accommodations, housing, employment, and education 4 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 1970 s • grievances and demands more human rights • senior citizens, disable, etc. • mainstreaming in education – Women (employment, income, education, child rearing)

The 1980 s 4 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 4 Phase I – Monoethnic studies • • Civil rights movement Demand of African American teachers More community control of schools Text revision and contributions 4 Phase II – Multiethnic studies • Focus on several minority groups • Comparative perspective

4 Phase III – Multiethnic studies education • Realization that reforming courses was insufficient to result in genuine educational reform 4 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

4 Phase V – Slowly occurring process designed to increase pace and scope of the institutionalization of multiethnic multicultural education within school

Five Characteristics Culture 4 Culture is learned. 4 A culture is logically integrated, functional, sense-making whole. 4 All cultures are constantly changing; no culture is completely static. 4 Every culture has a “value system”. 4 Culture make possible the reasonably efficient, largely automatic interaction

– between individuals that is a prerequisite to social life.

Understanding Culture 4 National – American, Japanese, Mexican, etc. 4 Ethnic – African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian American, European American, etc. 4 Regional – (U. S. , West Coast, East Coast etc. )

4 Gender – Male & Female 4 Socioeconomic Class – Rich & Poor 4 Age – Different generations 4 Socioeconomic Class – Rich & Poor

4 Physical Ability – Disabled, hearing impaired, blind, wheelchair, etc. 4 Sexual Orientation – Beliefs and values that may accompany being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual 4 Corporate – Utilities, Computers, Insurance, etc.

4 Departmental – Accounting, Field operations, etc. 4 Union – Skill and professional associations

Society, Culture, the Individual 4 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. 4 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. 4 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. 4 Social Structure or Organization – A complex system of interrelated positions and their accompanying roles that define the

– behavior of individuals and their relations with one another. 4 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 4 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 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 4 Gender 4 Perception & 4 Race/nationality expectations in life 4 Hemispericity &/or learning style 4 Ethnic background 4 SES 4 Geographic region 4 Personal interest 4 Lifestyle of family 4 Abilities/disabilities – Left/right brained 4 Values – Upbringing – Life experiences

The Components of the North America Culture: Values and Beliefs 4 Rugged Individualism: – Individual primary unit – Has primary responsibility – Independence and autonomy highly values and rewarded – Individual can control environment 4 Competition: – Winning is everything – Win/lose dichotomy 4 Action Oriented: – Must master and control nature – Must always do something about a situation – Pragmatic/utilitarian view of lie

4 Decision Making: – Majority rule when whites have power – Hierarchical – Pyramid structure 4 Holidays: – Based on Christian religion, White history, male leaders 4 Communication: – Standard English 4 Time: – Written tradition – Adherence to rigid time schedule – Direct eye contact – Time viewed as a – Limited physical commodity contact – Controlled emotions

4 Religion: – Belief in Christianity – No tolerance for deviation from single god concept 4 History: – Based on European immigrants experience in the U. S. – Romanticize war 4 Protestant Work Ethic: – Working hard brings success 4 Progress and Future Orientation: – Plan for future – Delayed gratification – Value continual improvement and progress

4 Emphasis on Scientific method: – Objective, rational, linear thinking – Cause and effect relationships – Quantitative emphasis – Dualistic thinking 4 Status and Power: – Measured by economic – – possessions Credentials, titles, and positions Believe “own” system Believe better than other systems Owning goods, space, standard property

4 Family Structure – Nuclear family is the ideal social unit – Man is bread winner and head – Woman is homemaker and subordinate to husband – Patriarchal structure 4 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 4 Enhances a good self-concept and self understanding 4 Sensitivity to and understanding of others, including cultural groups around world 4 Ability to perceive and understand multiple and sometimes conflicting, cultural and national interpretations of and perspectives on events, values, and behavior

4 Ability to make decisions and take effective action based on multicultural analysis and synthesis 4 Open minds when addressing issues 4 Understand the process of stereotyping, a low degree of stereotypical thinking, and pride inself and respect for all peoples

School a Social System 4 The hidden curriculum • Attitudes • Text p. 24