MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
A Social Justice Approach
Let’s get acquainted…
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To warm up we’re going to write an acrostic poem.
On a scrap piece of paper, write your name, vertically, down the
left side.
Then, use each letter in your name to come up with words that
describe you and your background.
For instance:
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M ajor in education
I s from a Jewish family
T akes pride in his home state of Michigan
C an play hockey and the drumset
H as Romanian and Russian heritage
Once you’ve finished switch poems with the person next to you so
that you can learn about them and they can learn about you.
What separates the Social Justice Approach?
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Unlike other approaches to Multicultural Education, the
Social Justice Approach does not seek to change
students to become more functional in society.
Rather, this approach seeks to change some of the
perceptions society holds about different multicultural
groups.
“In an equitable and just society, the various institutions
of society will enable diverse communities to sustain
themselves, and will ensure basic human rights.”
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 198)
Goals
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The Social Justice Approach seeks to bring the
social activism of society into the classroom
“Societal Goal- Promote social structural equality
and cultural pluralism.”
School Goals- Prepare students to work actively
toward social structural equality; promote cultural
pluralism and alternative lifestyles; promote equal
opportunity in the school”
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 199)
Brainstorm
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The Social Justice Approach can sometimes be
controversial and socially straining in the classroom.
That is why it is up to teachers to plan quality
lessons and activities for their students.
With the people around you, brainstorm some
possible activities you might use in your classroom
that would meet the goals of the Social Justice
Approach.
Theories
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There are 3 theories that serve as the basis of the
Social Justice Approach:
 Critical
Theories
 A Sociological Theory of Culture
 Identity and Democracy
Critical Theories
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Critical Theories are mostly concerned with various
social groups and the struggles and opposition that
they have with each other over power and control.
Many of the critical theories deal with various
minority groups speaking and acting out against the
oppressive forces of more dominant groups.
Teachers can use Critical Theories to harness
students’ sentiments of opposition and teach them to
speak out in an appropriate manner.
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 201-206)
Sociological Theory of Culture
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“Much of everyday culture is an adaptation to life’s
circumstances, which have been in part determined
by group competition for resources.”
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 206)
Minority groups, through social and political
activism, are constantly trying to change their social
circumstances.
As groups begins to change, so too does their place
in society.
Identity and Democracy
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This theory highlights the importance of students’
self worth and personal outlook on themselves.
“Multicultural Social Justice educators view learning
as active, social, and inextricably intertwined with
identity development.”
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 209)
Students must be able to see themselves as capable
of learning and producing knowledge in order to
make a change socially.
5 Components
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Murrell developed 5 components for developing
student identity
1. Self definition, in which young people explore themselves and
try on different roles
 2. Self Mobilization, in which young people learn to use their
interests as a basis for sustained effort, commitment, and
engagement in learning.
 3. Recursive appropriation of signs, in which young people learn
to you symbol systems and various academic cultural forms as
tools for interpretation and meaning making.
 4. Inventive reappropriation of signs, in which young people use
symbols and other forms of representation created by others to
express their own meanings.
 5. Belonging, in which young people develop identities that
connect them with an intellectual community of learners.
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Break Time!
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Take 10 minutes to get up, stretch, take a walk,
etc…
Curriculum
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According to the to the Social Justice Approach
teachers should organize their classrooms around social
issues like, “racism, classism, sexism, sexuality, disability,
the experiences and perspectives of different U.S.
social groups, and students’ life experience.”
Furthermore, teachers should prepare students to deal
with social issues by teaching, “critical thinking, analysis
of alternative viewpoints, social action skills, and
empowerment skills.”
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 199)
Instruction
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Instruction in the Social Justice Theory consists of,
“Involving students actively in democratic decision
making; build on students’ learning styles; adapt to
students’ skill levels; use cooperative learning.”
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 199)
Instruction should be tailored for students and
should seek to inherently promote the same social
standards that the Social Justice Approach is based
upon.
Practicing Democracy
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“Practicing democracy means learning to articulate
one’s interest, to openly debate issues with one’s peers,
to organize and work collectively with others, to acquire
power, to exercise power, and so forth.”
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 210)
Students should understand the value of democracy in
relation to social change. Students being taught under
the Social Justice Approach should feel empowered to
utilize the opportunities of democracy in order to
change and improve social and cultural standards.
Analyzing One’s Own Life Circumstances
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In the classroom, students should be able to analyze
and reflect upon their own lives so that they can
constructively develop ideas for social change.
Students should be able to connect the realities of
society to classroom curriculum in a way that encourages
real social change.
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 212)
Activities that allow for students to recognize injustices in
their own lives are extremely beneficial.
Students are able to connect classroom lessons to real
world experiences and attempt to create social and
cultural change.
Social Action Skills
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“Developing social action skills bring democratic
political skills to bear on issues involving race, class, and
gender inequalities in the students’ everyday world.”
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 214)
Through classroom development of social action skills,
students are taught the most effective and appropriate
ways to create political change.
Classroom guidance of social and political activism
ensures that students go about these activities in the
appropriate manner.
A Sample Classroom Activity
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Personal Case Study
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In pairs, students will conduct personal case students about each other.
Students will be paired up by the teacher ahead of time with thought
given to the different groups that each of the students belongs to
(students belonging to differing social groups will be paired up)
Students will have a week to conduct research about their partner’s
home life, housing, parents’ jobs, culture, etc…
At the end of the week, each partner will give a short presentation
to the class about the other, highlighting differences between them.
Each report will conclude with a reflection on the societal issues that
the given student’s family deals with daily.
This activity will be the basis for a social change project in which
students will help each other to create programs for social change
within their communities.
Critiques
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This approach is backed by very little research and
is often found to be scattered.
Little instructional guidance for educators.
Too radical for school.
Schools alone cannot change society.
Individual thought vs. teacher’s lessons.
Style of teaching is too traditional
Too “feel good”—ignores inequities within schools
(Sleeter and Grant, 2009, p. 221-224)
Final Thoughts
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The Social Justice Approach is a rather unorthodox
approach to classroom learning. Teachers and
students must be dedicated to creating a classroom
atmosphere that fosters social and political change,
tackling difficult cultural issues along the way.
As a final exercise, discuss with those around you
how you would implement the Social Justice
Approach in your own classroom.
Thank You!
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Thank you so much for your time and have a
wonderful day!
We’ll see you tomorrow at 8 am!