Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society

A multicultural classroom needs to provide a safe and accepting environment for successful learning, prevents prejudices and discriminations from the class, and have a strong cultural consciousness. (E.K. Garcia, 2016) To accomplish this, teachers should be integrating a diverse list of reading materials, introduce

People consider that social stratification in the United States contains social classes such as upper class, middle class, and lower class. People who are categorizing in upper class not only have power and control over their own lives but also their social status gives them

The story provided an excellent discussion of the many issues that surround race in schools, it centered on the topic about whether integrated schools were more beneficial than segregated schools. This book focuses on young children in the early grades, listening to parents and racial integration. The author wanted to find the truth that is surrounding multicultural classrooms from those that are involved in it. This book includes many side stories, which serve to explore the concepts, and displays them in a clear way; it also added depth to the book. This book was well written and shows all sides of multicultural education. It does not take one side in particular and it encourages people to explore multicultural education in a new light.

Teachers can begin by incorporating Banks’ five dimensions of multicultural education. In addition teachers must take into consideration DuPraw and Axner’s six fundamental patterns of cultural differences. Then, parents and the community will need to be educated on the cultural differences. However, the parents will need their voice to be heard in order to decrease cross cultural miscommunication. As our country’s population diversifies, it will be our responsibility to not only educate ourselves but our students as well as our parents in order to have a successful

Cultural diversity, or multiculturalism, is based on the idea that cultural identities should not be discarded or ignored, but rather maintained and valued. The foundation of this belief is that every culture and race has made a substantial contribution to American history. However, many people remain opposed to the idea of multiculturalism, or cultural diversity awareness, while others often support it and yet have no clear idea of how it should be taught. The diversity of the United States is truly astounding, as many different ethnic and racial groups have contributed to the social,

The opposing positions in Chapter 11 talk about what kind of cultural curriculum should be taught is schools today. One side feels multiculturalism is important to teach students tolerance and compassion. The other side feels we are losing out on the American culture and worry about dividing our society. I will cover in the following paragraphs their views as each side tries to persuade the reader to see their side of this issue. This is a persuasive article by a credible author, with each side using examples and creditable sources to support their views.

So we have learned that learning styles including gender are a big part of diversity and how as a teacher to incorporate effective learning into the classroom. Now we switch gears and think about a multicultural classroom. Multicultural refers to race, ethnicity, and culture. Race is a group of persons sharing a common publicly determined category often connected to genetic characteristics, physical looks, and heritage. Today, about one in three Americans are of color (Sadker, p. 76). Ethnicity refers to common cultural behaviors such as language, religion, and dress. Culture is a set of learned beliefs, values, symbols, and behaviors, a way of life shared by members of a society. This is a category altogether referred to as multicultural and is the common thought when diversity is said. Multicultural individuals were in the past and

This paper explores Multicultural Educational Reform. It investigates how the current state of our democracy urges the educator to consider the pertinence and definition of multicultural education and how it can be achieved. It demonstrates how the knowledge of a cultural curriculum transformation combined with understanding what constitutes multicultural curriculum can lead to reforming a mainstream curriculum that currently caters only, or primarily, to the Eurocentric, male-centric society that laid the foundation for education. This paper will

The aims of multicultural education is to make sure any student, no matter their demographic, receives and is provided the essential resources to get an education. Along with Banks, he discusses that multicultural education “is to reform the school and other educational institutions so that students from diverse racial, ethnic, and social-class groups will experience educational equality” (p. 3). In today’s schools, the students attending are changing, in regards to demographics, so schools need to adjust to be able to teach to all students.

With the shifting cultural texture and demographics of the United States (Banks, 2006b; Irvine, 2003), 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

Through multicultural education we receive a reward, a unique opportunity to effectively alter the opinions of individuals. Studies demonstrate the effects of these courses and while the subjects of this research are often college students, these effects are easily generalizable to the rest of the population. Although this generalizability is there, one can understand why it is the most effective to begin with college age students. Many laud this as a critical point in development for most young adults. It is a time where students are at a higher level of learning, while critical thinking and personal challenge is at a poignant high. This period in life and development is difficult to duplicate and for this reason this is the perfect place to implement this form of education and begin changing the underlying racist and sexist thought processes that support biased systems. By taking advantage of this, we will equalize the understanding of future generations and create a system where multicultural education is no longer necessary as they will teach the generations to come after them.

Today in American society, "Multiculturalism" is becoming a prevalent issue within our community. This topic is now frequently discussed among our public officials and media as it directly affects education, employment, and our economy. Once considered by many as a controversial topic, many educators now consider it a vital part of their versatile curriculum. While many welcome multiculturalism in our community, others continue to oppose the differences in language, religion, and custom. In Hasia Diner 's essay, "Some problems with ‘Multiculturalism’: or 'The Best Laid Plan," she argues that multiculturalism is a very odd topic among our society and most people really don 't know what it is. There are common misconceptions that those who are intolerant or ignorant to multiculturalism are automatically racist. Although it is now being addressed in many schools and universities, I agree that not enough emphasis is being placed on equal rights and opportunities for all cultures.

Education is one of the most important factors in every person’s life regardless of where they’re from, their race, or their culture. Becoming educated not only makes life easier for us but also can help people become more successful in all things. However with so many people of various races, ethnicities and backgrounds in the United States it is difficult to create an education system that attends to each student’s individual culture. Ones own culture influences their actions and lifestyle, therefore this can create conflict if it is different from their schools cultural teaching style. Multicultural and multilingual classrooms have become the norm in many educational and professional settings throughout the U.S. because of changing immigration patterns caused by globalization (Institute for Educational Leadership, p. 2). For teachers today, it is essential to understand the role of culture and have the ability to interact interculturally in the classroom to create an effective learning environment. Analyzing cultural issues or differences can help teachers to understand some of the unconscious processes that shape individuals’ actions and interactions, as well as their language use and communication. “Teachers who understand cultural diversity…are more likely to be successful in their multicultural classrooms” (Samovar, Pg.2).

There is a difference among instructing a class in which multiculturalism is the emphasis and joining a fundamental multicultural, comprehensive viewpoint into the classroom environment. Given that "there is no worldwide structure of a multiculturalism development that is faultless for attaining all objectives for all students" (Chamberlin, 2005, p. 26), discovering a method to shape a multicultural basis for sequences across the disciplines may be a better goal for faculty in higher education organizations. Multiculturalism is an idea that cannot be overlooked in today's culture. It is actual, it is connected to the globalization of higher education, and it is going to do nothing but produce in wealth in the future of higher education locations in the United States. Therefore, "it is dangerous that universities and colleges play a leading function in arranging its elements to purpose successfully in a more pluralistic society" (Almarza, 2005, p. 1). With that said, this essay will discuss the pros and cons of teaching multiculturalism in college classrooms.

To define multicultural education, Tileston (2004) presents different ways in which we differ from each other, together with race, religion, ethnicity, and gender characteristics. But to Greene (2003) saying that some of these differences are highly totally invisible at the other extreme but others is visible at one great. Nevertheless, it does not make sense to focus only in a visible site of differences but because the key point is to understand and acknowledge differences in students, be they invisible or visible.