The Definition of Multicultural Education

Multicultural education helps students to understand and appreciate cultural differences and similarities and to recognize the accomplishments of diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups. Classroom materials portray these diverse groups realistically and from a variety of perspectives.

Educators tend to take one of two approaches to multicultural education, writes Gloria Ladson-Billings, an assistant professor in the department of curriculum and instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Teachers using the "multicultural festival" approach have students celebrate ethnic diversity through "foods, fun, and festivals"—conveying the notion that "diversity issues come into play only during celebratory moments."

Teachers applying a "transformative" approach weave a range of cultural perspectives throughout the curriculum. For example, a primary school teacher may read the Grimm Brothers' European version of the Cinderella fairy tale—as well as Chinese, Egyptian, and Zimbabwean versions. Students would compare the moral and ethical dilemmas, story structure, standards of beauty, and specific characters in the versions.

Source: Adapted from "Educating for Diversity: What We Can Learn from Multicultural Education Research," by G. Ladson-Billings, in Educational Leadership, 51(8), 1994.

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