Multicultural Education: An Overview

Multicultural education is generally interpreted solely as the integration of content about various ethnic and cultural groups into the curriculum. As a result, many educators try to be experts on African American, Puerto Rican, Jewish, Korean, West Indian, Vietnamese, Russian, Dominican, and Ukrainian cultures -- simultaneously. A frustrating task! Moreover, although content integration is certainly a component of multiculturalism, it is only one component. A wider, more complex approach is needed. Think of multicultural education as a perspective, as a lens through which to see children, education, and the world. I would like to use the James Banks model of multicultural education to focus on specific dimensions of this broad view.

A Working Definition

A word before we look at the Banks model. As an educator, I hope to provide some food for your thoughts. To me, multiculturalism is best defined by Christine Bennett:

• Teaching and learning based on democratic values that foster cultural pluralism
• In its most comprehensive form, a commitment to achieving educational equity
• Developing curricula that build on understanding about ethnic groups
• Combating oppressive practices

You need to decide where you stand and what you can offer your multicultural classrooms and their diverse families. As we explore Banks's model, keep the following questions in mind:

• What are we currently doing?
• Why are we doing it?
• Whose needs are and are not being met?
• What changes need to be made?

James Banks's Dimensions of Multicultural Education

Five Elements

• Content Integration
• Prejudice Reduction
• Equity Pedagogy
• Knowledge Construction
• Empowering School Culture and Social Structure

Content Integration

This is the most common expression of multicultural education. Teachers supply examples and information from different ethnic and cultural groups to illustrate concepts and principles in the content areas. The degree of integration varies quite a bit from teacher to teacher and school to school. To begin, read the following examples, which represent a continuum. Think about which one best illustrates the way various groups are incorporated into your curriculum. One or more may apply.

• Focusing on the African American experience during Black History Month honoring the contributions of outstanding African Americans, such as Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, and Arthur Ashe teaching about the African American tradition of Kwanzaa through its food.
• Including various cultural and ethnic groups to illustrate core concepts, such as the inventions of Native and African Americans in a thematic unit on inventions. Presenting a unit on the Civil War that includes the voices and perspectives of landowners and poor whites, as well as slaves and free Blacks.
• Acknowledging the sometimes-biased representation of African Americans and Hispanic Americans on television, then empowering children to make decisions and take actions toward solving the issues.

As you might guess, most teachers who attempt to "multiculturize" their curricula begin with the first example. This is an excellent place to start because there are many resources available and teachers do not have to address issues that may challenge difficult areas. Unfortunately, in many instances, this is also where the integration ends. By not moving beyond this step, we as educators continue to marginalize the same children we are hoping to welcome and include. Whatever the culture, it is imperative for us to delve more deeply.

Make the conscious effort to include various ethnic and cultural groups within the context of core curricula rather than as an addition throughout the year. For example, many primary classroom teachers use snow as a core integrated theme during the winter months. The Black Snowman by Phil Mendez would be an excellent book to include in this unit. It does a wonderful job of addressing the struggle of a working-class family while highlighting the rich heritage of African American people. By expanding the groups included in core curricula, we are in essence including the perspectives and voices often silenced through our traditional curricula.

A more sophisticated degree of integration includes multiple voices and various perspectives within the curriculum. Reflect on your own learning about the Civil War. From whose perspective was the story told? Are the accounts of the war taught from the same perspective in the South as in the North? Have you ever thought about the perspectives of the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Negro Regiments (two of the most decorated)? These voices are rarely included. As a result, the picture is not realistic. I believe this is one of the most critical aspects of multicultural education. In one respect, it empowers children to think critically about events and issues. In addition, it provides a more realistic view of the human experience.

The final level, which is very rarely achieved, gives students the opportunity to think critically about social issues and to work at dealing with them in the hopes of improving our society.

Content integration should allow children to see themselves in our curricula. All children may not see themselves at all times, but it is our responsibility to help them see how what we teach is relevant in their lives. I often ask myself, "Which of my students sees himself or herself in this lesson? How is it relevant for the others? How can I bridge the gap?"

As you read the following sections, you will see how many of Banks's dimensions overlap.

Prejudice Reduction

Children are not color blind. Many see and judge others by skin color, for any number of reasons. One of my white second-graders was very quick to point out the color connection between me and a new African American student in my class -- a telling remark on many levels.

As educators, we must recognize that children have preconceived notions about other children. These notions are based on their race, neighborhood, ethnicity, and gender. If we are truly committed to the philosophy of multicultural education, this is an area we must consistently address.

As educational leaders within our classrooms, it is necessary for us to model positive attitudes and interactions with all children -- particularly those who might be alienated from the rest of the students. In order to do this, we must address our own preconceptions about our students. Liking some better than others is human nature. However, think how many hours we spend under the close scrutiny of our students. They pick up on our most subtle and implicit cues and patterns. So we must challenge ourselves to be conscious of modeling positive interactions and behaviors for our students. We must also be committed to confronting prejudice in all its forms and at all times. This is the most powerful modeling of all.

Then we need to create opportunities for students to interact peacefully among themselves. Cooperative learning is one great way. In addition to its many benefits for students, cooperative learning has been proven successful in reducing prejudice among students. Apparently the focus on a common goal helps override emphasis on individual differences. As you think about prejudice reduction, ask yourself if there are children in your class who are marginalized by other children. If so, why? Ask yourself what you can do to eliminate the problem. Our students look to us for reinforcement. Your positive interaction matters.

Equity Pedagogy

This simply means that teaching strategies should encourage success for all students, regardless of race, class, ethnicity, or gender. Knowledge of learning styles can help. Districts across the nation have spent a considerable amount of time and money on learning style in-services and planning. Yet this is rarely acknowledged as a critical component of multicultural education.

Take a moment to look through your plan book. Are there common trends in your teaching style? Are there children who consistently have trouble completing assignments successfully? This could be the result of mismatched teaching and learning styles.

Knowledge Construction

This idea is the most radical, but -- I believe -- the most crucial. Schools are structured to reflect middle-class norms and values. As educators within the system, we also embody those same norms. For example, we have expectations about what knowledge and skills children should have as they enter kindergarten. How do we determine those skills and knowledge? Are they arbitrarily determined or grounded in some philosophy? Suppose we asked the question, why are middle-class children more prepared for school than working-class children or children of color? We respond by saying that these children have not had the necessary experiences prior to entering school. Once again I ask, who has determined what is appropriate and necessary? Banks highlights five types of knowledge. As each one is described, please think about your own students and your own classroom.

Personal/Cultural Knowledge

This is the most basic knowledge. These are the concepts, explanations, and perceptions brought from home, family, and community. This knowledge shapes a child's vision of the world. It is a road map for life. There are those children whose personal knowledge is complemented and reinforced by the school culture. However, there are a growing number of children whose personal knowledge is challenged by our school structure.

To gain a better understanding of how devastating this is, think of a time you were in another country or in a social situation where you did not know the norms or rules. Do you remember how you felt? In most instances, you were able to leave that situation or ask somebody exactly what it was that you should have been doing. Children are unable to do either. They cannot leave the situation because they are mandated to attend school. And many are unable to find out what they should be doing because they do not know how to ask what is expected.

I would like to suggest validating children -- and their families -- in their personal knowledge. Involve and honor family contributions in the classroom. Their perspective many not be completely appropriate for school, but it is appropriate for their life outside of school, and it must be validated. Explicitly tell children what is expected of them. Assist them in reaching the goal. This allows them success in both cultures -- school and home -- of their lives.

Popular Knowledge

This is the body of beliefs and facts institutionalized within the media. We live in a very visual society, and implicit messages play an important role in the construction of knowledge. Images of groups of people we have never met are often the result of what we see on television or in the movies. The messages are pervasive and subtle, and we tend to accept them as truth.

Notice which cultural groups are represented in advertising. The images missing are as telling as the images present. Our children see the same thing, whether or not they identify it out loud.

Mainstream Academic Knowledge

This sort of knowledge is made up of concepts and explanations that are considered established knowledge by scientists. It is objective knowledge.

Transformative Academic Knowledge

Basically, transformative academic knowledge challenges the accepted truths of mainstream academia.

School Knowledge

School knowledge incorporates all of the knowledge already mentioned -- personal, popular, academic, and transformative. School knowledge pervades textbooks, teachers' guides, and other school materials. A classroom teacher's interpretation is also a form of school knowledge. The following is an illustration of how each of these knowledges influences school knowledge.

Until quite recently, teachers spent some time each October teaching lessons about Christopher Columbus, the "discoverer" of America. This was an integral part of our curricula because historians told us this was in fact what happened five hundred years ago (Mainstream Academic Knowledge). It was reinforced over the years by books, articles, movies, TV, and so on (Popular Knowledge). Transformative scholars began to challenge the commonly held notion by providing their own research findings that showed Columbus's role as discoverer to be questionable. As a result, our lessons about Christopher Columbus have changed considerably. Instead of being lessons on Columbus, the hero, discovering America, they have become an exploration in point of view...or an opportunity for children to compare historical conflict with a modern-day or personal one...maybe an opportunity to share Native American heritage...or a chance to solicit opinions on the subject from home. Whatever the choice, history has become something with which to interact (Personal Knowledge). Some might argue that the transformative findings attack American history and traditional heroes. Multiculturalists would respond by saying that we are beginning to get a true understanding of American history and to recognize the heroes and heroines that have gone unnoticed in the past -- a much more inclusive view.

Empowering School Culture and Social Structure

This section could probably fill an entire resource book by itself. We won't do that. But I'd like you to think about the general implications of this dimension. The four dimensions touched on so far are very applicable to the classroom teacher -- they allow us to "multiculturize" a familiar place: our own classroom. The fifth dimension is all about reaching beyond the school's walls -- about making links between the community and the school.

Parent involvement is at the very heart of such links. This dimension asks us to expand our classroom culture to embrace the entire community with the same warmth, understanding, and curiosity. No small task. But we must begin to do so, if all our culturally diverse educational efforts are to have nurturing support beyond our own classrooms.

Above, I have briefly shared the conceptual framework of James Banks. In the process, I have raised more questions than provided answers. That was intentional. As I stated in the opening paragraph, multiculturalism is a philosophy, not a set plan. You must set your own plan. It is critical for you to reflect. As educators, we are in extremely powerful positions. We will begin to change education so that we are empowering our students and their families to be proud, contributing members of society both within their rich cultural boundaries and beyond them.

This overview is provided by Pam Hart, an elementary educator and doctoral student in the multicultural education program at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington where she studies with Professors James A. Banks and Geneva Gay, recognized leaders in this field. Pam has given many presentations and workshops on aspects of multicultural education, including "Multicultural Learning Through the Arts."