Chapter 5 and 6 Reflection Questions

Priyal Morjaria

1. Who is the Multicultural Education approach geared towards?

Multicultural education is geared towards all students because its not just for students that
need to understand their own cultural background but also for students that need to
understand and respect cultural differences. Students need to learn the basis of oppression and
how equal opportunity impacts them and their peers.
2. Explain how diverse perspectives play a role in the multicultural Education Approach.
Teachers often find themselves working with standards that are limited in their approach and do
not have enough cultural diversity incorporated in their standard curriculum. Some perspectives
are misrepresented or misconstrued perpetuating stereotypes rather than motivating cultural
diversity. Diverse perspectives play a role in creating a curriculum that goes beyond a standard
approach and also helps teachers incorporate instruction in their classroom that benefits each
students multicultural understanding. Teachers can use these perspectives to help students
learn human differences and understands different points of view.
3. Compare the strengths and weaknesses of the Multicultural Education approach.
Multicultural education approach is useful and a positive approach to incorporate diversity in
education. Advocates of the approach argue that this approach works to connect students with
their community based on cultural diversity. Multicultural approach goes beyond just
incorporating cultural diversity learning in the classroom, and also tries to promote social justice
and equality for fall. Critics of the approach view it as one that will separate instead of unite
students. Critics feel that constant value on differences may in the end alienate students and
divide them into groups. Some also feel that while concentrating too much on diversity learning
teachers forget to focus on instruction that will prepare students for rigorous college level
courses. The approach in a sense is not bad but sometimes the way that its implementation
takes place is where instructors go wrong.
4. Explain cultural pluralism and the theory of modified cultural pluralism.
Cultural Pluralism looks at various ways that groups retain their culture and or assimilate into
the majority culture. Assimilation is a theory that implies that when minority cultures come into
constant contact with a majority culture they accept the majority culture as their own. Another
form of pluralism is amalgamation when minority groups mix their own culture with the culture
of the majority group. Classical Cultural Pluralism is when different cultures retain their own
cultural differences and are not willing to look beyond that. Modified cultural pluralism supports
the multicultural education approach. It works to unite a shared culture amongst groups as well
as cultural diversity that defines ones identity.

Chapter 5 and 6 Reflection Questions

Priyal Morjaria

5. Based on the cultural transmission theory, what is it important for teachers to know about their
students? How can this information inform their teaching?
Teachers should learn the various communities that their students identify with and what they
are learning in those communities. Doing so will assist educators in building on that so they can
better transmit culture. This in turns helps students construct or build upon their own
knowledge as well as learn and accept different approaches and ideas.

6. What are some of the difficulties in implementing a Multicultural Education Approach?

Like I mentioned above one of the key issues educators face today in the multicultural approach
is the standard curriculum that they are given to work with. Because the multicultural approach
works to improve all education processes it advocates a change in curriculum. Teachers dont
have the materials they need to initiate transmission. This makes instruction complicated.
Implementation also requires that instructors are educated on this approach.
1. Explain what culture is and is not according to the sociological theory of culture. Compare this
explanation with Focus question 3 in chapter 5 and explain how you may revise this now.
Culture based on my own previous understand of it is how we identify ourselves. Culture is
based on who we are, where we come from. The sociological theory of culture views culture as a
something thats created and recreated based on situations and the ongoing change world
around us. I agree now that how we define ourselves or identify with changes based on the
situations we find ourselves in at each point in life.
2. What are the main concerns of educators that advocate the Multicultural Social Justice
approach?
One concern is how a school can or is willing to collaborate and work with teachers to advocate
this change. Another very important concern deals with implementing or incorporating this
approach correctly. Some educators teach through lecturing and telling instead of collaborating,
cultivating and involving students views in their instruction. Students need to go beyond
knowing the importance of cultural and social justice. They should be conduits to this change.
3. Discuss how you can help your students direct much of their learning and not allow classroom
chaos to develop?
Students need to feel that they are a part of the change and that their voice is being heard. A
classroom should be an open forum where students can respectfully discuss view points and
cultivate democracy. Students should feel part of the learning process and that they are ones
that often initiate it. Students who feel empowered in the classroom are less likely to disrupt in
chaotic ways. Students should be able to connect to what they are learning. We are more likely
to engage in discussion and initiate positive change when we are working with issues that we

Chapter 5 and 6 Reflection Questions

Priyal Morjaria

can relate to and are important to us. Students should feel like they are capable of bringing
about action and positive change.
4. How can a teacher promote coalition building across class, race, gender, etc. lines in his or her
classroom?
Its hard to relate to anothers issues as your own if you cant relate to it. Todays LGBT rights
and concerns are looked upon as civil rights issues and often compared to African American civil
rights concerns that were and are still relevant. The nonviolent civil rights movement that Dr.
Martin Luther King led in the US is one that he learned of from Mahatma Gandhi and his
movement for nonviolent fight for independence in India. These are separate issues that have
some key commonalties. When teachers can relate struggles amongst race, class and gender
they can help students see why its important to look beyond their own issues.
5. What are points/issues of resistance a teacher may face when implementing the multicultural
social justice approach?
Teachers may often find it difficult to get literature and research on multicultural social justice
theory that encompasses this idea of coalition. Instructors may not be able to find information
that looks at race, gender, class and social issues dealing with these all together. Some critics
fear that this approach may actually increase conflict among groups instead of deflating it.