Teaching
with a
Multicultural Perspective
Teaching with a
multicultural perspective encourages appreciation and understanding
of other cultures as well as one's own. Teaching with this
perspective promotes the child's sense of the uniqueness of
his own culture as a positive characteristic and enables the
child to accept the uniqueness of the cultures of others.
THE DEVELOPMENT
OF STEREOTYPES
Children's attitudes toward their race and ethnic group and
other cultural groups begin to form early in the preschool
years. Infants can recognize differences in those around them,
and young children can easily absorb negative stereotypes.
Children are easily influenced by the culture, opinions, and
attitudes of their caregivers. Caregivers' perceptions of
ethnic and racial groups can affect the child's attitudes
toward those minority groups. Early childhood educators can
influence the development of positive attitudes in young children
by learning about and promoting the various cultures represented
among the children they teach.
Young children
can develop stereotypic viewpoints of cultures different from
their own when similarities among all individuals are not
emphasized. Teachers can help eliminate stereotypes by presenting
material and activities that enable children to learn the
similarities of all individuals. Circle time is particularly
helpful in this respect, as it provides children with a feeling
of group identity and introduces them to the variety of cultures
represented in the class (Dixon and Fraser, 1986).
A multicultural
program should not focus on other cultures to the exclusion
of the cultures represented in the class. Children from different
cultures often have to make major behavioral adjustments to
meet the expectations of the school. Teachers should take
whatever measures are necessary to see that children do not
interpret these adjustments as evidence of cultural stereotypes.
DISPELLING
THE MYTHS
Early childhood teachers and parents of young children should
become aware of the myths associated with multicultural education
so that they can enhance developmentally appropriate practices.
MYTH #1:
OTHER CULTURES SHOULD BE PRESENTED AS DISTINCT WAYS OF LIVING
THAT REFLECT DIFFERENCES
FROM THE DOMINANT CULTURE.
The emphasis on
so-called exotic differences will often accentuate a "we"
versus "they" polarity. Children who are not able
to identify with another culture because of exotic differences
will often feel superior or inferior to the culture. A multicultural
program can focus on the presentation of other cultures, but
at the same time allow children to be aware of the nature
and uniqueness of their own culture. Children can learn about
their class as an example of a common culture. Teachers can
emphasize how other classes can be similar and yet different.
MYTH #2:
BILINGUALISM IS A LIABILITY RATHER THAN AN ASSET.
Recent studies
suggest that, all other things being equal, higher degrees
of bilingualism are associated with higher levels of cognitive
attainment. It is evident that the duality of languages per
se does not hamper the overall language proficiency or cognitive
development of bilingual children (Hakuta & Garcia, 1989).
MYTH #3:
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION IS ONLY RELEVANT IN CLASSES WITH STUDENTS
WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE CULTURAL OR RACIAL GROUPS TO BE STUDIED.
Our world is multicultural,
and children need to experience the diversity outside their
immediate environment. If children are to know about minority
groups, they must be taught about them in the same way they
are taught about majority groups. Otherwise, children can
grow to adulthood unaware of, and insensitive to, the experiences
of other cultural groups.
MYTH #4:
THERE SHOULD BE A SEPARATE, UNIFIED SET OF GOALS AND CURRICULUM
FOR MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION.
This myth conflicts
with the purpose of providing relevant and meaningful education
to children from all cultural backgrounds. Since we have a
multitude of cultures in our world, it is impractical, perhaps
impossible, to teach about all of them. Goals and curriculum
will, therefore, differ considerably from class to class.
It is important for early childhood teachers and parents to
acknowledge that everyone has a culture, not just those who
appear to be different. Children who are taught to appreciate
and understand their own culture learn to understand others'
cultures in the process. The appropriate curriculum for understanding
America's diverse cultures is a multicultural curriculum taught
within a developmental framework. It promotes recognition,
understanding, and acceptance of cultural diversity and individual
uniqueness. This curriculum is based in concepts such as cultural
pluralism, intergroup understanding, and human relations.
It is not restrictive or limited to a specific course, set
of skills, or time of year.
MYTH #5:
MERE ACTIVITIES, WHICH ARE NOT PLACED IN AN EXPLICITCULTURAL
CONTEXT, CONSTITUTE VIABLE MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM.
All activities
should be accompanied by commentaries that explain their cultural
context. Activities should always be chosen on the basis of
developmental appropriateness.
PROMOTING
A MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
Multicultural education embodies a perspective rather than
a curriculum. Teachers must consider children's cultural identities
and be aware of their own biases. It is tempting to deny our
prejudices and claim that we find all children equally appealing.
Teachers and parents need to acknowledge the fact that we,
like our children, are inevitably influenced by the stereotypes
and one-sided view of society that exists in our schools and
the media. Not only must we recognize those biases, but we
must change the attitude they represent by accepting all children
as we receive them.
One problem with
the current thrust in multicultural education is that it pays
little or no attention to teaching people how to recognize
when culturally and racially different groups are being victimized
by the racist or biased attitudes of the larger society. In
order to change people's oppressive ways, we must learn about
oppression. We must examine our responses to diversity, devoting
as much effort to changing them as we devote to learning about
culture. Nurturing diversity means making multicultural education
a process of action, through which we as adults achieve clarity
about our condition in this society and ways to change it
(Phillips, 1988).
Teachers and parents
can take several approaches to integrate and develop a multicultural
perspective. The promotion of a positive self-concept is essential,
as is a focus on activities that highlight the similarities
and differences of all children's lives. Children's play,
particularly role play, is an excellent strategy for developing
new perspectives on culture and lifestyles. The treatment
of children as unique individuals, each with something special
to contribute, is an important strategy. If a teacher is to
understand the whole child, he or she must become aware of
the child's cultural background. Children can benefit from
understanding the teacher's heritage and background. The feeling
of connection that results is vital to the child's acceptance
of the similarities and differences of others.
Through multicultural
literature, children discover that all cultural groups have
made significant contributions to civilization. A well-balanced
multicultural literature program includes literature that
depicts people with a variety of aspirations, from different
sociometric levels, with different occupations, and with a
range of human characteristics (Norton, 1985).
CONCLUSION
As our country continues to exhibit great diversity, the need
for understanding and accepting the differences among all
people has never been more important. Thus, the challenge
for educators is to present an effective multicultural education
foundation by means of which all children can learn to accept
others.
The goal of multicultural
education is not only to teach children about other groups
or countries. It is also to help children become accustomed
to the idea that there are many lifestyles, languages, cultures,
and points of view. The purpose of multicultural curriculum
is to attach positive feelings to multicultural experiences
so that each child will feel included and valued, and will
feel friendly and respectful toward people from other ethnic
and cultural groups (Dimidjian, 1989). One key to helping
young children develop a sense of being citizens of the world
lies with the early childhood teacher. The disposition exhibited
by this individual in promoting everyone's culture will be
the successful factor in the child's development of a multicultural
perspective.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
Dimidjian, V.J. (1989). "Holiday, Holy Days, and Wholly
Dazed." YOUNG CHILDREN, 44, 6, 70-75.
Dixon, G.T. &
Fraser, S. (1986). "Teaching Preschoolers in a Multilingual
Classroom." CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 62, 4, 272-275.
Hakuta, K. &
Garcia, E. (1989). "Bilingualism and Education."
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST, 44, 2, 374-379.
Kagan, S.L. &
Garcia, E.E. (1991). "Educating Culturally and Linguistically
Diverse Preschoolers: Moving the Agenda." EARLY CHILDHOOD
RESEARCH QUARTERLY, 6, 427-443.
Norton, D.E. (1985).
"Language and Cognitive Development Through Multicultural
Literature." CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 62, 2, 103-108.
Phillips, C.B.
(1988). "Nurturing Diversity For Today's Children and
Tomorrow's Leaders." YOUNG CHILDREN, 43, 2, 42-47.
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