Multicultural Education In the Global Context

Dr. Xu Di

Educational Foundations

College of Education

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, U.S.A.

July 14, 2014

For Renda Summer Session

Table of Content

• Review– Get to know one another culturally– Survey summary– Q&A

• Culture and Multicultural Educ. (Chapter 1)• Break• Social classes & its impact on educ. (Chapter 2)• Conclusion• Homework

Get to know one another culturally

• Who are you?

• What is your cultural heritage?

• How can you make contribute to this class with your cultures?

Survey Summary

• 1. Why do you take this class?• 2. How would you define multicultural education?

•  3. What are some of the multicultural education theories you are aware of?

• 4. How important do you view multicultural education?• 5. What is relevance of multicultural education for your

profession and life?• 6. What do you want to achieve through this course?• 7. Workload 8. Assistance? 9. Other comments

Q&A (Chapter 1)

• What are the characteristics of culture according to this chapter?

• What are cultural relativism and ethnocentrism? Which one do you prefer & why?

Definition of Culture(Revisited)

• Culture – Patters, traditions and behaviors of a group of people formed during historical and geographical environment that shape and influence the current and future way of living and social interaction for an individual, group, nation, and the world.

Culture

Characteristics:

• Learned

• Social

• Internalized

• Shared

• Adaptive

• Dynamic/changing

Additional ones:

Your Cultural View:

Relativism• View all cultures

as equal

• Celebrate diversity

• Understand the universal values of humanity

Ethnocentrism• Inability to view

other cultures as equally

• View one’s own cultural as the only truth and reality

• Spuperiority

Quotes

• No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive – Gandhi

• No man or woman can live as an island.

• No human exists without culture.

Manifestations

Brainstorm Common focus of study

• P. 13, Figure 1.2

Your Portrait

• Who are you culturally?

• Based on our discussion, please draw a portrait of yourself, reflecting the richness of your cultures and highlighting your essence (the best quality).

Multiculturalism

Multi-culture – The intersection and interaction of various and different cultures in the world in the social, educational, political, and economic context.

Multiculturalism honors and celebrates pluralism, diversity, similarities and differences and promote equality, equity, fairness, social justice, and democracy.

James Banks

• Multicultural education is an idea or concept, an educational reform movement, and a process.

• Multicultural education incorporates the idea that all students-regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, social class, and ethnic, racial, or cultural characteristics should have an equal opportunity to learn in school. – (Banks, 2014, p.1)

Banks – M.E.

• Five focused area for change:

• 1. Content integration

• 2. The knowledge construction Process

• 3. Prejudice reduction

• 4. An equity pedagogy

• An empowering school culture and social structure (Banks, 2014, p. 37)

Importance of cultural & multicultural studies

• Knowing thyself

• Personal social, educational, and profession improvement

• Basic ethnical and human survival

• Social and societal advancement

• Global harmony and peace

Misconceptions of M.E.

• For others (the poor)

• Water down the curriculum

• Reduce quality

• Create separation

• Use one racism to substitute the other

• All good intentions and no actual steps

• Impossible or not practical

Our beliefs and attitudes

• 1. How much do you agree with M.E.?

• How much are you living according to M.E. principles?

• Warm/Fuzzy Test

• BREAK

Chapter 3

• Definition of social classes

• Where did it come from?

• How does it impact on education?

• What is the meaning for you?

S.E.S

• Socio-economic status

• Upper class

• Upper middle

• Middle

• Working

• Poor

• Gap: p. 78

Stratification

• Income

• Education

• Occupation

• Wealth

• Power

S.E.S. & Education

• P. 83

• P. 95

• P. 96 Figure 3.8

Discussion

• 1. How important do you think social class is in education? Provide your real life examples.

• Which class do you come from and which one do you want to become? Why?

• What are some alternative ways to structure and categorize a society? Why?

Multicultural Education Application - Group work

• As a group, come with an activity to illustrate how to develop and improve yourself as a global citizen. The purpose of this activity is to apply your learning in this class and apply it to yourself and your daily life. 

• Each group has twenty minutes and make sure that you involve everyone in the group and that all in this class benefit from your activity personal and professionally.

• Be creative and constructive.• Have fun!

Group work – application(Self educ. & improvement)

• 1. What does multicultural education mean to you?

• 2. What are some ways to make yourself a better and more open human being?

• 3. How exactly can you do so? Why?

Homework

• Journal assignment #1• Which social class do you come from? What are your

challenges and benefits from this social class? How can you relate to social classes other than your own? Why is this understanding needed?

• Readings Chapter 2 p.46-52, 56-57, 67-69• What is the difference between race and ethnicity?• How can we teach to provide quality education to

ALL?

Homework (continued)

• Reading Chapter 4, p. 110-117• 1. What source of gender difference?• 2. How do genders think and work – differently or similarly? • Research assignment 2• Find a multicultural education theory or research from a peer reviewed

journal with an APA reference.

• FINAL PAPER (5-page, APA, font 12-pt., double spaced)• Please discuss your most important learning and growth you have made

through this class.• 1. Who are you?• 2. What is your new realization?• 3. How can you become a multicultural being? Why?

Thank you!

Mahalo!