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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Children's Cultural Diversity
Education in a Global Community:
Insights from Europe and the
United States
Graciela Nava
ABSTRACT
Because of the Internet and other advances in communication, the world is
becoming truly a world village (Friedman, 2005). Barriers of nationality and
even language can be easily overcome with social sites like Facebook, LinkedIn,
and instant translations from Bing. Schools need to prepare young people to
become not only citizens of their own nations, but also citizens of the world.
Therefore, multicultural education should start as early as possible, when
stereotypes have not been firmly imprinted in the mind. The following pages look
at multicultural education in Europe and the United States.
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Children's Multicultural Education in a Global Community:
Insights from Europe and the United States
During the week following Hurricane Sandy, it was interesting to see in social
networks that users from Europe were not very sympathetic to the plight of the people of
the East Cost of the United States, many of whom had lost property and even loved
ones. It seems that anti-Americanism is growing, perhaps fueled by the perceived
disinterest of Americans regarding world issues.
Schaman (2003) attributed anti-American sentiments to national egocentricity.
He quotes Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun narrowing down the problem to lack of
education about other cultures and places. The problem seems to be internal too. Even
though there is the perception that America is a melting pot, in actuality it is more like an
ethnic salad where groups keep for the most part separated. According to Gandara
(2010), segregation has increased among Latino and African-American students
because of where they live and go to school. This separation contributes to xenophobia,
Islamophobia, nativisim, and other discriminatory behaviors among different groups.
Teachers cannot change where students go to school. Likewise, school
programs alone cannot bring about social transformation. Nonetheless, teachers can
develop or utilize curricula that can better prepare students to function in a diverse
society and world, and contribute to counteract narrow views fomented in some home
environments or cultural circles.
The need for multicultural education is not exclusive to the United States. The
European Union struggles with the integration of its diverse members, and internally
each country faces the challenges of multiculturalism. For example, Greece seeks to
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
consider the needs of its Muslims population, a minority living within its borders
(Georgiadis, Koutsouri, & Zisimos, 2011). Conversely, educators in Portugal struggle
with the trend of homogenization. Different solutions have been implemented to address
these issues, from which American educators could derive valuable insights.
Literature Review
Multicultural education is sought at different levels. The UNESCO's General
Assembly in 2005 approved the Convention to Promote Cultural Diversity. The 21 st
Session of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education drafted the
Declaration by the European Ministers of Education on Intercultural Education. In
Portugal, the Education System Framework Law presents as its first goal, “To promote
national awareness opened to actual reality in a perspective of universal humanism,
solidarity, and international cooperation.” Notwithstanding all these declarations and
goals, Pires (2011) claimed that schools in Portugal continue to have homogenizing
tendencies.
Pires (2011) proposed the use of traditional stories to promote cultural diversity.
However, stories need to be selected and analyzed according to Inter Guide principles.
The Inter Guide is part of the Interproject (n.d.)—a plan to implement Intercultural
Education in the European Union. Those principles require that curricula:
(1) Shows the social diversity of the environment.
(2) Shows people from different environments, backgrounds, and lifestyles as
capable to take decisions about their own lives.
(2) Includes different customs and attitudes from the perspective of cultural
relativism, which is to understand them within the context where they were
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
produced, taking care to avoid influencing them from our own perspective or
judged in accordance to our own beliefs and values.
(3) Shows role models from different traditions and perspectives whose views are
presented positively and valued.
(4) Promotes a positive image of any group and avoids presenting anyone of them
as more important or better than the other ones.
(5) Avoids stereotyping groups or people from different groups.
(6) Gender roles are treated equally, avoiding judgment according to our current set
of values.
(7) Languages of different groups are appreciated equally, and presented as
valuable resources for communicating.
(8) Stories about the past should be presented as a shared memory, and not as a
discourse of dominant elites. Each student should feel that he/she belongs to,
and could recognize himself/herself in the continuation of the historical discourse
from the present moment in time.
ni ersidad Nacional de Educaci n a
istancia,
Activities with this curricula strive to dismantle polarization, by allowing the
children to place themselves in the other's shoes. Children need to experience dealing
with different points of view, and how differences can be integrated in a positive way.
However, the curricula also needs to prepare children for the real world, where there is
no total neutrality, and power is distributed unequally (Pires, 2010).
Georgiadis, Koutsouri, and Zisimos (2011) proposed the use of Cooperative
Learning (CL), as opposed to the ex cathedra model, as a tool to teach cultural
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
diversity. The authors desired to address the issue of diversity in the region of Greece
known as Thrace, which has a large concentration of Muslims. That region consistently
had experienced a high dropout rate. Through the implementation of new educational
programs, the dropout rate for elementary school become less than half the previous
rate of 46%, and attendance of girls increased. A special characteristic of the new
educational programs was the establishment of community centers (KESPEM, n.d.),
which offered classes not only to the children but also the adults—primarily of the
Muslim minority. The centers were staffed by minority and majority members, providing
an excellent model of cooperation between diverse groups for the young students.
Furthermore, the authors assert that according to Allport's Contact Hypothesis,
increased contact among members of different groups will not alone reduce prejudice,
unless the following pre-conditions are met:
(1) Equal group status within the situation
(2) Setting common goals that require a measure of member interdependence
(3) Inter-group cooperation
(4) Authority support for cooperation
Taking into consideration the above four principles, Cooperative Learning (CL)
includes methods in which students are grouped into heterogeneous teams, given
common goals that require interaction, and use study methods that ensure success, so
that the experience will be rewarding. Using CL to teach Literature, the authors noticed
that small texts encourage more cooperation. In this setting the teacher acts as a
moderator, allowing discussion instead of providing one correct perspective.
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Furthermore, the books selected also included illustrations. The program was
developed for children learning Greek as a second language, therefore, it was important
to consider the role the illustrations would have on the children's learning process--who
may not fully understand the text at first—by providing a double narrative. Moreover,
discussions were guided so that the pupils could relate to the problems faced by the
characters, and vicariously apply the characters' experiences to their own difficulties,
such as leaving their country and living in an unfamiliar environment (Georgiadis,
Koutsouri, & Zisimos, 2011).
In the United States, state and national accreditation agencies require that
teachers be aware of multicultural differences. The Teacher Education Accreditation
Council (TEAC) has the following requirement for teacher candidates:
“Candidates must demonstrate that they ha e learned accurate and sound
information on matters of race, gender, individual differences, and ethnic and
cultural perspecti es.”
(TEAC, n.d.)
Morton, Siera, Grant, and Giese (2008), however, wanted to take students
beyond knowledge to substantially change their belief systems, which often
demonstrated an adverse attitude toward diversity, and teaching diversity. The
researchers concluded that the best possible way to help teacher candidates change
their paradigm was with the use of children's literature. Books included, Homeless Bird,
Maniac Magee, Esperanza Rising, and Petey, among others.
The authors had participants from two different universities. The student body of
each university was different from the other in terms of ethnic and socioeconomic
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
background. The students were grouped by book, which allowed some diversity in each
group. Discussions followed, and included the following points:
(1) What issues are discussed/raised in your book?
(2) What connections did you make to yourself, to others, to the world you live in?
(3) What are the challenges in dealing with these issues?
(4) How might this book influence your teaching?
(5) Did you gain any new insights about diversity?
According to the authors, the use of the books mentioned above, in conjunction
with the discussion in a diverse group, elicited the participants to face their own beliefs,
and that of their classmates, thereby providing them with a new perspective about
diversity that the students may not have considered before.
Recommendations
It is a common theme among the literature reviewed that children's literature can
be instrumental in teaching children and adults about different cultures. However, not all
works of art may be conducive to breaking down stereotypes and fostering acceptance
of diversity as a positive phenomenon. In Episode 1, of Season 1, of Boston Legal (n.d),
Rev. Al Sharpton makes an appearance in court to protest that an African American
candidate was not chosen to play the lead role in the musical Annie. He makes the point
that many classic works of art, literature and theater included, were written at a time
when bias views abounded, and they need to be revised. According to ABC News
(2013), it will take until 2014 for audiences to see a Black Annie on the national stage.
Therefore, careful consideration should be given to which books are used, and how they
are presented and discussed.
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Furthermore, inclusion of works of art from other parts of the world could be
instrumental in opening the young minds to other cultures, a valuable asset considering
that the generation of children in schools now will—more than any other generation
before—be exposed to a global economy and a global population. Furthermore, many
world cultures are already represented within the United States, so including
international literature could provide validation to the children originally from those
cultures, and encourage respect for those cultures from the children born in America.
The Appendix provides resources on multicultural literature for children.
It is not uncommon for the children to bring the attitudes prevalent at home to
school. Therefore, it is important to consider the caregiver element in children's
multicultural education. Good examples of how the adult element was addressed in
multicultural education are the community centers (KESPEM, n.d.) in the Thrace region
of Greece discussed earlier.
owe er, implementing a similar program may e difficult in many places
throughout the nited States ecause of residential segregation. For e ample,
sypuk, ce edo- arc a, and i ersitydata.org.
c rdle,
stated that according to their
study of public primary school children in Chicago, Illinois, Black students attend
schools that are 87.3 % Black. In Los Angeles, California, Latino students attend
schools that are 73.4% Latino, and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Asian/Pacific Islander
students attend schools that are 67.3% Asian/Pacific Islander. Nonetheless, simply
inviting a diverse group of adults to volunteer at a school function could provide the
children with a model of positive multicultural interaction.
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Furthermore, school districts may want to consider cooperative projects among
diverse student bodies as a way to bridge the gap among different groups, as
suggested in Cooperative Learning methods (Georgiadis, Koutsouri, & Zisimos, 2011).
However, budget restrictions may become a deterrent on pursuing this kind of activity.
Nonetheless, teachers could develop cooperative programs over the Internet. For
example, inviting children from different school districts to contribute to create a virtual
art exhibition, using poetry and graphic art. The Appendix also lists a free program to
develop online courses and sites.
Interaction among children from different backgrounds is a necessity. Their
interaction could decrease friction among different communities as they become familiar
with one another. Ultimately, society benefits by having citizens educated in
multiculturalism, who are able to appreciate and harvest the richness of the different
cultures throughout the world and in their own country, instead of feeling threaten by the
differences.
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
References
BC News
3, Fe ruary 5 . Qu enzhane Wallis to Star in ‘ nnie’ Remake. BC
News. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/02/quvenzhane-wallis-to-star-in-annieremake/
Boston Legal. (n.d.). The case of orphan Annie. Boston Legal Fan Wiki. Retrieved June
13, 2013, from http://bostonlegal.wetpaint.com/page/Case+1x01.1
Friedman, T. L. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New
York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Georgiadis, F., Koutsouri, A., & Zisimos, A. (2011). Educational Interventions on
'Otherness': Co-operative Learning through Intercultural Children's Literature in
Muslim Minority Schools in Greece. Journal Of Muslim Minority Affairs, 31(1), 3148. doi:10.1080/13602004.2011.556888.
Gandara, P. (November 01, 2010). Overcoming Triple Segregation. Educational
Leadership, 68(3), 60-64.
Interproject (n.d.).Home. Inter Project. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from
http://inter.up.pt/inter.php?item=project.
Kespem, (n.d.). The Objectives. Kespem. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from
http://www.museduc.gr/en/%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%BC%CE%B
1/%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%87%CE%BF%CE%B9
c rdle, N., sypuk, T., ce edo- arc a, .,
i ersitydata.org.
. Segregation
and exposure to high-poverty schools in large metropolitan areas, 2008-09.
Boston, Mass.: Diversitydata.org, 8-11. Retrieved July 13, 2013 from
http://diversitydata.sph.harvard.edu/Publications/school_segregation_report.pdf
Morton, J., Siera, M., Grant, K., & Giese, B. (2008). Confronting Dispositions toward
Diversity through Children's Literature. Southeastern Teacher Education Journal,
1(1), 67-76.
Pires, M. (2011). "Building Identity and Understanding Diversity"--Children's Literature
and Traditional Literature Potential in the School Curriculum. US-China
Education Review A, (2a), 251-262.
Schama, S. (2003, March 10). The unloved American, two centuries of alienating
Europe. The New Yorker. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2003/03/10/030310fa_fact#ixzz2BOR9Yjgj
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), (n.d). TEAC principles and standards
for teacher education programs. TEAC. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from
http://www.teac.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/quality-principles-for-teachereducation-programs.pdf
ni ersidad Nacional de Educaci n a istancia.
. INTER guide: A practical guide
to implement intercultural education at schools. Madrid ni ersidad Nacional de
Educaci n a istancia, pp. 5 -55.
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Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Appendix
Multicultural Education
Resources
Name:
Description:
Where to find it:
Asia Society
The site has a section dedicated to school
resources, which includes lesson plans for
elementary and secondary schools on
developing students' global competence.
http://asiasociety.org/education/res
ources-schools/term
Education Matters The site has a list of over 40 multicultural
http://www.pragmaticmom.com/m
books for children, which includes topics like ulticultural-books-for-children/
Civil Rights, Native Americans, and different
Asian cultures.
Games for Change The site features a game called, “Guess My http://www.gamesforchange.org/pl
Race,” which aims to diminish bias
ay/guess-my-race/
tendencies by showing that race is the result
of complex cultural and historical
constructions.
Moodle
Moodle is an open source free program to
develop internet-based courses and
websites. It could be use to create
interactive activities among students from
different schools.
Rotary
International
Interact is a project for people ages 14-18
http://www.rotary.org/en/studentsa
sponsored and mentored by local Rotary
ndyouth/youthprograms/interact/pa
Clubs. It consists of two service projects each ges/ridefault.aspx
year, one that encourages international
understanding and goodwill.
University of
The site features a list of called, “The 50
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https://moodle.org/
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccb
Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
Wisconsin
Madison/
Cooperative
Children's book
Center
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Multicultural Books Every Child Should
Know.” The list is divided by age groups,
from preschool to age 12. Additional
resources for teens are provided too.
Note: The list was compiled July 12, 2013
13
c/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBook
Lists=42
Journal of Elementary and Secondary Education
2013 • July • Volume: 4 • Issue: 7
Author Information:
Graciela Nava is an Associate Professor of Social Studies at University of Phoenix. She is the
founder and CEO of Media for Life Corporation, an ordained Interfaith Minister from the Order
of Universal Interfaith, an avid volunteer, and an author of children's books.
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