Multicultural Education
 

In terms of public, K-12 education..

Should multiculturalism permeate the curriculum?

To be honest, yes. But the modes by which multiculturalism is implemented in schools is often arbitrary and top-down. Because of this dilution, I think a better question to ask would be "Do schools have an obligation to reduce Euro and Americo-centrism within their curricula?"

What exactly do you mean? My textbooks are multicultural enough. It's not as if they have some sort of shining picture of the West.

It makes sense to learn more about your own culture than foreign ones.

your a lush. you live on an entire planet if you havent noticed.

Too a degree maybe, but most schooling focuses a little too much on our culture. The furthest thing I ever knew about our roots started in the pre-revolutionary days. The only time I ever learned anything about Africa was when I took an elective class dealing specifically African/Mid Eastern/Asian histories. I think they should go more in depth.

Well, all I can say is that your school systems suck ass.

Don't you guys have World History 1 and 2?

You should have learned about ancient Indian civilizations, like the Mayuras and Guptas... the various Chinese civilizations... the Russians... the Japanese... the Native Americans, like the Aztecs... Africa...

Now, granted, when we started getting into the agricultural revolution and industrial revolution, we talk a little bit more about the West. That's not really unfair, though, because more happened in the West during those periods. And once we get into the modern era, we have to talk about the various nations because of greater globalization.

Nope, not in my podunk southern high school. We had a great American History class, but no World History.

Actually, the same number of things happened all across the world. Maybe you mean more things worth studying? Sounds like an awful subjective judgement to me!

Moving on, does anyone have anything to say about this: http://www.hermetic.com/bey/pw-multicul.html?

We have it, but only U.S. History, U.S. Civics, and U.S. Economics are required. I have never studied a word about Russia but for outside of school. The only time we even talk about foreign countries at all is when we inevitably go over World Wars I and II every single fucking year since 4th grade. I can guarantee that 70+% of my school couldn't tell the difference between Japan and China, and even fewer could name an African country other than Egypt.

:/

It seems like the dumbest Canadian is more worldly than the average American.

Perhaps I should also mention that my town is probably the most backwater suburb of a large city there ever was. The town is over 97% white, the favored passtime of every single person but me and like four other people is "mudding," and when they're not doing that they're playing "******" where they put bricks in the back of a truck and throw them at black people on the street. If you don't hit them, you have to go get it. God, I hate this place.

Multiculturalism has a noble intention in that it's designed to combat prejudice. I respect that end of it.

But how do you accomodate everyone? Where do you even find the time in the curriculum? Would emphasizing that everyone is so very different have a more divisive than unifying effect?

At any rate, I do think eurocentric biases should be eliminated, but that's not necessarily the same thing as "multiculturalism."

I don't think learning about the Aztecs and the Babylonians or Confucius counts as "multicultural".

So long as the message - diversity- is made, then a multicultural curriculum, in whatever shape or form, is an okay one.

Maoist? :(

I'll read it tommorow.

Maoist? :(

I'll read it tommorow.

Harsh.

There may be traces of Mao, but there's nothing even remotely authoritarian in there.

You're talking about American schools like they're all based on the same curriculum. Far from it.
In many states, the state writes the curriculum, but in most (including Massachusetts), the school district writes the curriculum.

The Dennis-Yarmouth District, the one I was "educated" in, actually had a fairly diverse curriculum.
It's the students that were ignorant.

Value statements are inavoidable. Treating things as equal is a value statement in and of itself.

I don't think it is a bad thing to claim that the Industrial Revolution was more important than Joe taking a piss in a river. Both happened in history; only one needs to be learned about.