Multicultural Education

Multicultural Education

By Julie Oetting

Open Ended

When I say Multicultural what do you think of?

Multiculturalism Is...

A philosophical concept built on the ideas of freedom, justice, equality, equity, and human dignity as acknowledged in various documents

​Emphasize Shared Aspects of American Culture

​Emphasize America's Cultural Diversity

Main Argument ​

Salad Bowl vs Melting Pot

​VS

​Emphasize America's Cultural Diversity

Focus on the concept of culture and the ​problems that result from mixing them

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Arguments Against Multiculturalism

​It's destroying Western Civilization

• Some see it as a threat to national ​identity

• "​It threatens cultural relativism, a disease, that says all values are equally valid" (Allan Bloom (1987)).

• ​we should go back to the "good old days"

  • "when ​men were men, men were white...when women and persons of color were voiceless, faceless servants (Gates 1992, p17)"

Open Ended

What problems do you see with their argument against Multicultural Education?

Emphasize Shared Aspects of American Culture

​Create and celebrate the diversity of the USA

Arguments for Multiculturalism

​Want a fair share of curricular attention

• a better representation of ALL Americans (rich and poor, minorities and the majority)

• the curriculum must change or it becomes ​irrelevant to students

• ​it is not to replace the stories but to have multiple perspectives to give a more rounded picture

Open Ended

What problems can you see with their arguments for Multicultural Education?

​Dimensions of Multicultural Education

Which do you think is most important? How would you use these in your classroom?

​Have you ever heard of multicultural education?​

​Survey Q&A

​Many believe that without multicultural education, the information given to kids becomes less relevant because the world around them is multicultural. Does this argument make sense to you?

​Survey Q&A

Poll

Do you think we will see more Multicultural Education pop up?

• Yes

• No

​Any questions or discussions you would like to have before we end?

​People to check out if you want more information about the topic:

• Allan Bloom (against)

• James ​A. Banks (for)

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