There is no doubt that multicultural education, that set of strategies and materials developed to keep pace with the rapidly changing demographics of students, can help societies anticipate and adapt to changing global, regional, national, and local needs for cultural understanding and awareness. (Indeed, at its best, multicultural education can help students create the futures they desire.) Multicultural education draws on insights from such different fields as ethnic and women studies to teach students the histories, cultures, and contributions of diverse groups; importantly, it encourages them to reinterpret content from academic disciplines. Assuming the future is society is pluralistic, there is also value in culture theory, which seeks to conceptualize and understand the dynamics of culture. A short article is at Article Culture Theory

Demand is coming from various means.However, we have to decide which demands should be fulfilled. Since the globe and its associated systems are changing rapidly ( could be due to Globalization process or some other reasons) ,multicultural education is a must. In the meantime, our own culture should also be understood and realized.

Dear Karen,

This is a good question. I know you are looking for answers grounded in the realm of education. However, I do think this question needs to be addressed at a more holistic level as multicultural education will not suffice in keeping us, as a society, updated with the cultural demands brought up by the fast-paced global recognition of 'difference'.

Yes, multicultural education is very relevant for 1) raising awareness 2) knitting a new diversity-based common public culture, functional to multiculturalism.

Nevertheless, greater dialogue must take place between ethnic majoritarian and ethnic minoritarian groups both at an institutional and at a local, community-level. It is through this informal, everyday dialogue (at the marketplace, outside schools, community centers, libraries, town halls, etc.) that the cultures get closure with one another and build bonds that are not necessarily easy to create via institutional, vertical educational means.

It is here that the host society becomes aware of the needs of immigrants (even if they are, under this framework, still deemed 'Others'). These are also excellent opportunities for prejudice reduction, thereby enabling trust.

Dear Alejandra:

That is a great answer full of wisdom and understanding. The way that you compared the elements of change needed. Drawing the analogy between a multicultural education vs. the rapidly growing global recognition is wonderful!

Next, it is the community places (if one actually comes out into the community) that differentiation is more noticeable or stereotypes if you will?

Also, my mother used to say, "People are people." I know now, what she meant. We don't all fit into the mindset of fitting into the "box" that our culture may even try to fit us into. Since culture is a set of values and beliefs, it starts in the mind and heart of the individual.

Therefore, I am mindful of George Couros (2015), The Innovator's Mindset. We need a new cultural awareness mindset that allows us to get rid of the prejudices and stereotypes like the millennials have done in a sense.

Finally, there is a lot of new literature out there that we can begin to research. I am going to attach an article you might find interesting by Ellen Bialystok (2001), Bilingualism in Development, Language, Literacy, Cognition. Let's share our updates on literature that is related to cultural awareness!

Best regards,

Karen

Dr. Alejandra's answer is full of great enlightenment on how to beef up cultural education (pluralistic cultural dialogue) in schools. I agree perfectly with her excellent viewpoint.

Dear Olivier Serrat:

Thank you for the wonderful article explaining culture theory. A theory is a word that can be frightening to some and misunderstood by others (Laureate Education Producer). (2009f). Attached is a discussion I did on theory which may interest you.

The answer in your article Serrat, Olivier (2008, December 1) Culture Theory, was very informing and brought out the five (5) main points of concentration for most cultural studies:

1) ideology

2) nationality

3) ethnicity

4) social class

5) gender

and shows how unstructured the academic field for such a diverse array of theories and associated practices that cultural awareness and cultural understanding encompass. This field has broadened with various approaches, methods and academic outlooks. Thus, it needs to change its focus from "Let's to How," Serrat, Olivier (2008, December 1)

This is an excellent article. Thank you for sharing.

Best regards,

Karen

Resources

(Laureate Education Producer). (2009f)

Serrat, Olivier (2008, December 1) Culture Theory, Asian Development Bank, Mandaluyong: Philippines, Asian Development Bank

Dear Arben J Salihu :

Thank you for the wonderful article regarding the Quality of life and Education in a Knowledge Society.

Gracias por el maravilloso artículo sobre la (Calidad de Vida en Educacion En la Sociedad del Conocimiento).

Retrieved from Google Translator [April 20, 2018] https://www.google.com/search?

I am currently reading and translating the article and it is very interesting as it seems to deal with a holistic level of defining the quality of life.

Actualmente estoy leyendo y traduciendo el artículo y es muy interesante ya que parece tratar con un nivel holístico de definición de la calidad de vida:

Retrieved from Google Translator [April 20, 2018] https://www.google.com/search?q=google+translate+english+to+spanish&oq=Google+translate+english+to+spanish&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i65j0l4.12839j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

“Forma

de ser en que el hombre está plenamente integrado en su

ambiente, tanto a nivel físico y psicológico como social”. (The

Free Dictionary, 2016),

"Form of being in which man is fully integrated into his environment, both physically and psychologically as well as socially. " (The Free Dictionary, 2016)

Resource

Website: Google Translator, Retrieved [April 20, 2018] from https://www.google.com/search?q=translate+spanish+to+english&oq=translate+spanish+to+english&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i65j0l4.25591j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Nancy Maria del Carmen Franco Gomez Reinaldo, Requiero Almeida, (2017), Quality of life and Education in a Knowledge Society (Calidad de Vida en Educacion En la Sociedad del Conocimiento), Cienfuegos, Cuba: Universo Sur, Universidad de Cienfuegos

The Free Dictionary (2016).

Best regards, (Atentamente)

Karen

Teach anthropology on other ways of being human

Dear Dr. Alejandra Gaitán-Barrera:

RE: Holistic level of viewing multicultural education, as it affects society, and the cultural demands brought up by the fast-paced global recognition of 'difference'

The attached article will clarify some of the ongoing challenges with understanding cultures and cultural awareness in the 21st century.

Per, Bali, M. (2014), Ellsworth's approach supports how educators' attention to power inequalities deals with the solutions regarding student empowerment. She discusses the cultural viewpoint of gender oppression. However, Bali M. (2014), examines web-based intercultural dialogue.

Finally, since I am multicultural, I can relate to the point that cultures are not 'pure' in the sense that one's identity may engulf a combination of various cultures, (Bhabha, 1994 as cited in Bali, 2014, p.210).

Reference

Bali, M. (2014). Why doesn't this feel empowering? The challenges of web-based intercultural dialogue. Teaching In Higher Education, 19(2), 208-215. doi:10.1080/13562517.2014.867620

Best regards,

Karen Riley-Brown

Dear Pannilage Upali:

RE: Embracing the changes in diversity, yet keeping the understanding and knowledge of one's own culture

You have an excellent point. Because many times as people move into society, they lose parts of their own culture and assimilate to another culture.

A good article that discusses some of this form of change or challenge is as follows:

Per Mullings, D.V. (2015), a qualitative study involving four groups of pupils, from ULSA School of Social Work, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam and St.John’s Newfoundland. They completed group discussions regarding social work practice and supervision. Three objectives of the study include: 1) Answer the question: how can experiential learning better the students’ experiences in learning? 2) Support and promote cross-cultural teaching development, and 3) develop cultural understanding and appreciation for racial and cultural differences, (Mullings, D.V. 2015).

Reference:

Mullings, D.V. (2015), Bridging the Learning gap: Cross-cultural learning and teaching through distant learning, World Journal of Education, 5(2), 1 Retrieved from http://sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/wje/article/viewFile/3194/3969

Best regards,

Karen Riley-Brown

Dear Tim Rackett:

Thank you for your reply to this question on cultural awareness. Teaching other ways of being human or concepts dealing with humanity is definitely a huge part of understanding cultures.

An article that might interest you along those lines is as follows:

Per Culp, J. (2017), Peace education is a long-term endeavor to resolve violent, intractable conflicts that aims at affecting moral stances that the conflicting parties take vis-à-vis each other. Unfortunately, however, peace education in times of severe crisis also faces many impediments. These impediments concern the agential, cultural, financial, and legal aspects of educative institutions within context of violent and intractable conflicts (Culp, J., 2017)

De Culp, J. (2017), Educación para la paz es un largo - plazo esfuerzo para resolver los conflictos violentos, intratables que apunta a que afecta a las posturas morales que las partes en conflicto tienen vis-à-vis entre sí. Desafortunadamente, sin embargo, educación para la paz en tiempos de crisis grave también se enfrenta a muchos obstáculos. Estos impedimentos se refieren a la agential , culturales , financiera , y legalaspectos de las instituciones educativas dentro del contexto de los conflictos violentos e intratables (Culp, J., 2017)

Culp, J. (2017). Against all odds: Peace education in times of crisis. Educational Philosophy & Theory, 49(10), 1029-1037. doi:10.1080/00131857.2016.1274954

Best regards,

Karen