Multicultural Education

The authors' present essays and annotations on a number of issues related to multicultural education. Inherent in the authors' definition of multicultural education is a commitment to create a more just and equitable society for all people.

Summarizes developments in multicultural education in forty-two countries from around the world.

This book tells us how various global regions are dealing with three major concerns within the field of multicultural education: *the conceptualization and realization of "difference" and "diversity"; *the inclusion and exclusion of social groups within a definition of multicultural education; and *the effects of power on relations between and among groups identified under the multicultural education umbrella. All of the chapter authors pay attention to these themes, but, at the same time, they bring their particular interests and perspectives to the book, addressing issues, such as linguistic, racial, ethnic, and religious diversity; class; educational inequalities; teacher education; conceptualizations of citizenship; and questions of identity construction. In addition, the authors offer both historical and social contexts for their analytical discussion of the ideals and practices of multicultural education in a particular region. This is not a book that tells us about multicultural education with an international "twist"; it provides readers with different ways to think, talk, and do research about issues of "diversity," "difference," and the effects of power as they relate to education.

Born during the turbulent years of the 1960s, multicultural education has attempted to help students acquire a more sophisticated understanding of the pluralistic populations of the United States. This reference book is a convenient guide to multicultural education initiatives in the 50 states. The volume contains alphabetical entries for each state. Because multicultural education is largely a response to the ethnic composition of a particular state, each entry begins with a brief history of the state, which gives special attention to the experiences of various racial and ethnic groups. The second part of each entry summarizes the educational system of the state, while the third analyzes the state's multicultural education efforts. Each entry closes with bibliographic information, and the volume concludes with a selected, general bibliography.

Korn and Bursztyn and their contributors examine the cultural transitions that children make as they move between home and school. Case studies present instances of how diversity engages us in renegotiating the personal and social. In illuminating the complicated nature of cultural transitions, they highlight how multiculturalism can play a transformative role in the lives of children and schools.

The heart of this study is a detailed narrative account of a teacher in an inner-city school. For two years, the author collaborated with an immigrant teacher from the Caribbean, studying her practice from three perspectives: place--the community and school landscape; temporality--the history of the school and current programs; and interaction--the teacher's relationship with the school, parents, and students. Current ways of examining multicultural issues focus on the analysis of broad factors affecting large groups of people. In the process, the individual is subsumed within catagories and the subtle nuances of experiences are lost. The narrative approach outlined in the book offers a new perspective on multiculturalism and research into multicultural education, one the author terms narrative multiculturalism.

Tremendous cultural and linguistic diversity is evident in our schools today. This text by one of today's best-known and most highly respected multicultural educators presents examples of real-life dilemmas about diversity that teachers will face in their own classrooms; ideas about how language, culture, and teaching are linked; and ways to engage with these ideas through reflection and collaborative inquiry. A thoughtful integration of articles and book chapters published by Dr. Nieto along with creative pedagogical features, Language, Culture, and Teaching: Critical Perspectives for a New Century: *explores how language and culture are connected to teaching and learning in educational contexts; *examines the sociocultural and sociopolitical contexts of language and culture to understand how they may affect student learning and achievement; *analyzes the implications of linguistic and cultural diversity for school reform and educational equity; *encourages critical reflection on classroom practices related to linguistic and cultural diversity; and * offers in each chapter critical questions to help readers build on the knowledge they have gained by analyzing the concepts further; classroom activities that provide suggestions for applying what they have learned to their own teaching context; and community activities suggesting projects beyond the classroom context, in settings ranging from the school or district to the state or national level. New times deserve new textbooks that engage teachers in viewing students' cultural and linguistic differences in a more hopeful and critical way, and in changing classroom practices and school policies to promote the learning of all students. Although no easy answers are available to fix the problems and uncertainties teachers encounter every day, there are thoughtful ways to address them that respect teachers' and other educators' professionalism, honor the identities of students and their families, and validate the nation's claim to educate students of all backgrounds. The aim of this text is to help practicing and preservice teachers accomplish these goals.